Elie Wiesel
The America of the early 2020s was turbulent, more outwardly hateful of its neighbors than in quite some time. Tensions were created by hostile, poorly supported information, and exacerbated by those whose sole interest was lining their pockets amid the choas.
A familiar repercussion of this fear mongering drove people somewhat mad - snatching books out from their shelters in schools, and feeding them to hungry bonfires waiting outside. Book bannings and book burnings were back. One of those books was Night, by holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel.
The story of Night is a candid recounting of Wiesel’s horrific time spent at Nazi death camps, particularly Auschwitz and Buchenwald. It is considered a gruesome vignette into the overwhelming cruelty and sadism WW2 offered - against Jews and other minorities. He received a Nobel Peace Prize for it.
To be burned in 2021 is an eerie and ironic fate for his masterpiece, Night. Those who believe its contents to be full of lies are the same who most sorely need to read its contents and learn the truth it contains.
We were deeply moved. In an attempt to bring attention to this concern, The Herd Initiative reached out to LA, where the current Superbowl was set to happen that January. A primarily Jewish foundation, The Giving Back Fund, along with the Wiesel estate, gave us permission to create a commemorative Earthwork of Elie Wiesel.
Morningside High - just next to Sofi
The idea was to create the piece and get a precious flyover spot for the Superbowl, as were only 400 feet from the stadium. Things were looking good, and we had our spot, but alas, it was the Superbowl and they found themselves tight on time.
Regardless, the image gathered considerable attention online and on the field. The field, which was at Morningside High School, became a part of the curriculum for the students. The Earthwork was a perfect, intergrative educating opportunity on the arts, history, and social sciences. The surrounding neighborhood were frequent visitors too, and the gala event at the end brought a hefty crowd.
We did not do this for attention, beautiful and proud as The Herd Initiative is of the final product. We did this to shine a spotlight on pressing American matters. Attempting to remind folks just how we got here, who we lost along the way, and what we need to do going forward - which is to say, find compromise and peace with our fellow citizens. Even if we do not always agree, their right to humanity is a sacred pact we share.
These kinds of messages are an enormous privilege for Kyra and The Herd Initiave. Though we appreciate our corporate and commercial partnerships, it is opportunities like this that make ones void feel temporarily full, and ones purpose make brief sense.
