The Mr. Fred Rouse Memorial calls to mind the harrowing experience of Mr. Fred Rouse, an African American worker at the Swift Company  meat packing plant, who broke the strike line to go to work. He was not allowed to join the white workers on strike  since he was not allowed to be a part of the workers union in 1921.  Due to his heroism he was kidnapped and  lynched from a Hackberry tree located adjacent to the site of the memorial. Mr. Rouse was one of thousands of African American’s lynched in the United States. His story is unique yet  shared as he was one of many who were trying to live, work and be a productive citizen, but whose life was cut short.  This memorial, championed by his grandson Mr. Fred Rouse III, his family, and the Tarrant County Coalition for Peace and Justice, will provide visitors an opportunity to memorialize strength and reckon with a past of injustice. The design of the memorial will provide  visitors a spatial temporal experience as they travel through the rain garden and  the tree panels. This journey takes the traveler  towards the large concrete memorial wall  that stands before the hackberry tree symbolizing  the heroism of Mr. Fred Rouse. The garden path and plaza area allow for contemplation, and a timeline wall within the plaza provides additional information on the experience of Mr. Fred Rouse, including  his legacy and what it means for us today. The design includes green infrastructure that captures carbon and mitigates flooding, also symbolizing  sustainability and resiliency of the African community in their past and current environment.

Client

Tarrant County Coalition for Peace and Justice (TCCPJ)

Project Team

Landscape Architect I DesignJones LLC

Project Status

Construction Design Phase

Size

0.33 Acres