Gray Memorial Foundation

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Gray Memorial Foundation Our Mission: To educate and memorialize the life's work and global impact of a trailblazing and legi to be named after an African-American political leader.

To commemorate Congressman Gray’s lifelong commitment and service to the United States and to international human rights, Congress passed legislation three years ago to rename 30th Street Station in Philadelphia as the “William H. Gray III 30th Street Station”, thereby creating only the second Amtrak station in the U.S. The bill, H.R. 4838, was signed into law by President Barack Obama in August 2014, but to this day Amtrak has resisted renaming the station, failing to comply with the legislation and delaying a befitting honor of Gray’s legacy. After years of patience and good faith efforts, a coalition of national and local political, community and business leaders have come together to insist that Amtrak comply with the law and move quickly to incorporate the name of William H. Gray III into all signage, both physical and digital.

12/09/2025

We’re building more than a memorial — we’re building a civic learning space that strengthens our democracy. The William H. Gray III Living Memorial at Gray/30th Street Station will invite millions of students, commuters, families, and neighbors to explore stories of leadership, service, and opportunity inspired by Congressman Gray.

Your support helps bring civic education to young people, elevate community voices, and create a public space where everyone feels connected to the work of shaping our future.

Your gift directly supports:
✨ Bringing civic education programming to young people across Philadelphia and beyond
✨ Engaging national and local communities in shaping the memorial experience
✨ Creating a welcoming space for civic dialogue that inspires action

Join us. Add your voice. Help build a more informed and engaged society.

Visit our Website 👉 Link in Our Bio
To DONATE 👉 Link in Our Bio

12/02/2025

“Your Gift Helps Build a More Informed and Connected Democracy”
 
On this Giving Tuesday, we’re inviting you to help shape a public space where every visitor—physically or virtually, including students, commuters, families, and neighbors—can engage with stories of leadership, opportunity, and civic possibility inspired by Congressman, statesman, and pastor William H. Gray III.
 
We’re building a Living Legacy Memorial inside the historic Gray/30th Street Station in Philadelphia—a civic learning experience designed physically and virtually for millions, with digital storytelling, community-driven content, and a permanent public artwork that elevates the values he championed: service, engagement, and community empowerment.
 
Your gift directly supports:
✨ Bringing civic education programming to young people across Philadelphia and beyond 
✨ Engaging national and local communities in shaping the memorial experience
✨ Creating a welcoming space for civic dialogue that inspires action
 
This project only becomes possible when people like you choose to invest in it. If you believe in building a more informed, connected, and empowered society, join us on the journey to 2026. 
 
Make today meaningful. Join the effort. Shape what’s possible.
 
Click the link 👉 in our bio to Donate Today.

Visit us on our Website 👉 by clicking on the link in our bio.
 
LivingMemorial

We’re honored to be featured in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, which highlights the five finalist artists selected to de...
07/18/2025

We’re honored to be featured in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, which highlights the five finalist artists selected to design the William H. Gray III Memorial at Gray/30th Street Station.

From over 100 submissions nationwide, these five visionaries— , , Paul Ramirez Jonas, Karyn Olivier, and —have proposed bold and meaningful concepts that reflect Congressman Gray’s powerful legacy of faith, justice, leadership, and global impact.

📰 Read the full story in the : Link in our bio! 

🗣️ Share your voice during the public
feedback period—open now on our website: Link in our bio!

đź“ŤJoin us Tuesday, July 22 in Philadelphia for the live presentation of each artist’s concept. To attend, email [email protected].

💻 To register for the livestream please sign up here: Link in our bio!

🚨Artist Spotlight: Karyn Olivier🚨This is the fifth of the Final Five.The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is prou...
07/17/2025

🚨Artist Spotlight: Karyn Olivier🚨

This is the fifth of the Final Five.

The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is proud to introduce as one of five visionary artists selected to develop full proposals for a major new public memorial honoring Congressman Gray at Philadelphia’s historic William H. Gray III 30th Street Amtrak Station.

Karyn’s concept, titled Platform, reflects on Congressman Gray’s life of service—a life grounded in justice, community, and faith. Drawing inspiration from the pulpit, the monument’s stone structure rises with steps leading to an elevated platform inscribed with powerful symbols from Gray’s career: from the U.S. Congress to the , from to South Africa. At its center, a bronze figure of Gray descends the stairs with an outstretched hand—an invitation for all of us to join him in action.

Topped with an obelisk of four converging columns and a fused-glass American flag, and grounded by a mosaic world map, Platform is both a local tribute and a global reflection. It honors Gray’s reach—from Philadelphia to Haiti, from the pulpit to the Capitol—and reminds us that his legacy is a call to act, engage, and serve.

In Olivier’s words, “What matters most are the moments that follow—the time when the collective work of the people should begin.”
This is the fifth and final spotlight in our series introducing the artists and their bold visions.

🔗Learn more about Karyn and the other finalists and their memorial artistic concepts on the Gray Memorial Foundation’s website: Link in our bio!

🗣️Share your voice! Public feedback on the finalists’ proposals is open now: Click the link in our bio!

đź“ŤOn Tuesday, July 22nd, all five artists will present their memorial concepts live to invited guests and stakeholders in Philadelphia.

👉If you are interested in attending this event on July 22nd, please email your name and affiliation to [email protected].

This event will also be livestreamed. To register for the livestream please use the link in our bio.

🚨Artist Spotlight: Karyn Olivier🚨This is the fifth of the Final Five.The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is prou...
07/17/2025

🚨Artist Spotlight: Karyn Olivier🚨

This is the fifth of the Final Five.

The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is proud to introduce as one of five visionary artists selected to develop full proposals for a major new public memorial honoring Congressman Gray at Philadelphia’s historic William H. Gray III 30th Street Station.

Karyn’s concept, titled Platform, reflects on Congressman Gray’s life of service—a life grounded in justice, community, and faith. Drawing inspiration from the pulpit, the monument’s stone structure rises with steps leading to an elevated platform inscribed with powerful symbols from Gray’s career: from the U.S. Congress to the , from Philadelphia to South Africa. At its center, a bronze figure of Gray descends the stairs with an outstretched hand—an invitation for all of us to join him in action.

Topped with an obelisk of four converging columns and a fused-glass American flag, and grounded by a mosaic world map, Platform is both a local tribute and a global reflection. It honors Gray’s reach—from to Haiti, from the pulpit to the Capitol—and reminds us that his legacy is a call to act, engage, and serve.

In Olivier’s words, “What matters most are the moments that follow—the time when the collective work of the people should begin.”
This is the fifth and final spotlight in our series introducing the artists and their bold visions.

🔗Learn more about Karyn and the other finalists and their memorial artistic concepts on the Gray Memorial Foundation’s website: Link in our bio!

🗣️Share your voice! Public feedback on the finalists’ proposals is open now: Click the link in our bio!

đź“ŤOn Tuesday, July 22nd, all five artists will present their memorial concepts live to invited guests and stakeholders in Philadelphia.

👉If you are interested in attending this event on July 22nd, please email your name and affiliation to [email protected].

This event will also be livestreamed. To register for the livestream please use the link in our bio.

🚨Artist Spotlight: Paul Ramirez Jonas🚨One of the Final Five.The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is proud to intr...
07/16/2025

🚨Artist Spotlight: Paul Ramirez Jonas🚨

One of the Final Five.

The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is proud to introduce Paul Ramirez Jonas as one of five visionary artists selected to develop full proposals for a major new public memorial honoring Congressman Gray at Philadelphia’s historic William H. Gray III 30th Street Amtrak Station.

Paul’s concept, titled Our Ancestors Knew We Were Coming, imagines a participatory monument that invites visitors to sit at the nexus between past and future. Anchored by a life-sized genealogical tree rising nearly 40 feet, the work explores the many lineages—familial, spiritual, cultural, civic—that shaped Congressman Gray’s life and legacy.

From his father and predecessor at Bright Hope Baptist Church, to his leadership as Chair of the House Budget Committee and President of the UNCF, Gray stood at the intersection of multiple roles: child, parent, pastor, public servant. The bench at the base of the tree offers a place for reflection—on ancestry, legacy, and civic responsibility—reminding us that we, too, are shaping the ground for those who come next.

In Jonas’s words, “Civic engagement means an awareness that we must prepare the ground for our descendants—just as our ancestors prepared the ground for us.”

This is the fourth in a series introducing the finalists and their bold visions.

🔗Learn more about Paul and the other finalists and their memorial artistic concepts on the Gray Memorial Foundation’s website: Link in our bio!

🗣️Share your voice! Public feedback on the finalists’ proposals is open now: Click the link in our bio!

đź“ŤOn Tuesday, July 22nd, all five artists will present their memorial concepts live to invited guests and stakeholders in Philadelphia.

👉If you are interested in attending this event on July 22nd, please email your name and affiliation to [email protected].

This event will also be livestreamed. To register for the livestream please use the link in our bio.

🚨 Artist Spotlight: Hank Willis Thomas 🚨One of the Final Five.The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is proud to in...
07/15/2025

🚨 Artist Spotlight: Hank Willis Thomas 🚨

One of the Final Five.

The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is proud to introduce as one of five visionary artists selected to develop full proposals for a major new public memorial honoring Congressman Gray at Philadelphia’s historic William H. Gray III 30th Street Amtrak Station.

Hank’s concept, titled “Reverence,” is a powerful 13-foot bronze monument that pays tribute to the life, leadership, and enduring legacy of Congressman and Reverend William H. Gray III. Formed by two hands poised in a gesture of prayer or deep contemplation, the sculpture serves as both a salutation and a sacred gateway—inviting travelers to pause, reflect, and remember.

In Thomas’s words, “Reverence” seeks to embody the values and spirit Congressman Gray brought to every role—as a pastor, a congressman, and a voice for justice. With universal symbolism and emotional depth, the sculpture stands as a landmark of purpose, faith, and community in one of America’s most historic transit hubs.

This is the third in a series introducing the finalists and their bold visions.

🔗 Learn more about Hank and the other finalists and their memorial artistic concepts on the Gray Memorial Foundation’s website: Link in our bio!

🗣️ Share your voice! Public feedback on the finalists’ proposals is open now: Click the link in our bio!

đź“Ť On Tuesday, July 22nd, all five artists will present their memorial concepts live to invited guests and stakeholders in Philadelphia. If you are interested in attending this event on July 22nd, please email your name and affiliation to [email protected]. This event will also be livestreamed. To register for the livestream please use the link in our bio.

🚨 Artist Spotlight: Nina Cooke John 🚨
One of the Final Five. The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is proud to int...
07/10/2025

🚨 Artist Spotlight: Nina Cooke John 🚨

One of the Final Five.
 
The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is proud to introduce Nina Cooke John, one of five outstanding artists selected to develop full proposals for a major new public memorial honoring Congressman Gray at Philadelphia’s historic 30th Street Station.
 
Nina’s “Justice Interlaced” is an immersive installation that uses the station’s architecture and rail lines to symbolize Congressman Gray’s broad legacy—from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. and globally. 
 
The memorial portrays Gray’s story as a pastor, congressman, and international leader through bronze and steel ribbons weaving through stone piers, symbolizing resilience and movement. Visitors see engraved milestones, hidden inscriptions, and audio recordings of Gray’s sermons and inspiring voices. Gray’s likeness appears as a network of lines, highlighting a living legacy.
 
This is the second in a series introducing the finalists and their bold visions.
 
🔗 Learn more about Nina and the other finalists on the Gray Memorial Foundation’s website: Link in Our Bio!

🗣️ Share your voice! Public feedback on the finalists’ proposals is open now: Link in Our Bio!

📍 In late July, all five artists will present their memorial concepts live to invited guests and stakeholders in Philadelphia. The event will be livestreamed—register here for details: Link In Our Bio!
 

🚨 Artist Spotlight: Nekisha Durrett 🚨One of the Final Five. The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is proud to intr...
07/09/2025

🚨 Artist Spotlight: Nekisha Durrett 🚨

One of the Final Five.

The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is proud to introduce Nekisha Durrett one of five outstanding artists selected to develop full proposals for a major new public memorial honoring Congressman Gray at Philadelphia’s historic William H. Gray III 30th Street Amtrak Station.

Nekisha’s concept, titled “Crystal Stair,” is a powerful, 30-foot sculptural column inspired by Langston Hughes’s poem “Mother to Son”—a poem Congressman Gray recited often and credited as formative in his life. In Durrett’s words, the piece seeks to “make a legacy rooted in faith, equity, and service visible and unmistakable in monumental form.”

Inside and out, “Crystal Stair” is a living, breathing tribute—designed not just to honor the past, but to engage future generations. With raw materials and mosaic imagery, it reflects the labor, resilience, and sacred vision at the heart of Gray’s journey—from pulpit to policy, from community to Congress.

This is the first in a series introducing the finalists and their bold visions.

🔗 Learn more about Nekisha and the other finalists and their memorial artistic concepts on the Gray Memorial Foundation’s website: https://lnkd.in/eGidsnwP

🗣️ Share your voice! Public feedback on the finalists’ proposals is open now: https://lnkd.in/eB753S3j

📍 Later in July, all five artists will present their memorial concepts live to invited guests and stakeholders in Philadelphia. The event will be livestreamed—stay tuned for details!

On this day of reflection and celebration, we honor the enduring contributions of those who shaped our nation’s path for...
07/04/2025

On this day of reflection and celebration, we honor the enduring contributions of those who shaped our nation’s path forward.

Congressman William H. Gray III dedicated his life to service, opportunity, and progress—principles that continue to guide the work of the Gray Memorial Foundation.

As we commemorate July 4th, we’re reminded of the power of leadership rooted in purpose and community.

Learn more about our mission and how you can support: graymemorial.org

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300 New Jersey Avenue, NW, 3rd Floor
Washington D.C., DC
20001

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