Houston Public Library to preserve Lorenzo Salgado Araujo memorial
Library preserves Lorenza Salgado Araujo memorial
The memorial on Canal Street to remember the loss of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo will be moved ahead of the repaving of Canal Street.
HOUSTON - The memorial on Canal Street honoring Lorenzo Salgado Araujo will be preserved at the Houston Public Library, ensuring tributes left by family, friends and community members are not lost as construction begins in the area.
Preserving Lorenzo memorial
According to Mayor John Whitmire's Office, METRO began repaving Canal Street on Friday. The construction made it necessary to temporarily remove portions of the street-side memorial.
Before the work began, Araujo's family partnered with the Houston Public Library to preserve the community's tributes. Ronaldo Salgado, Lorenzo's brother, along with a family representative and a LULAC member, met with staff from the Houston History Research Center to discuss preserving the memorial and ensuring the items would be properly cared for.
Ronaldo and the Houston Public Library team recovered about 30 items from the memorial site, including flowers, candles, signs and handwritten messages. The items were transferred to the Houston History Research Center after Ronaldo completed a signed donor agreement.
The mayor's office said the collection is being stored at the Houston History Research Center, where it will be evaluated to determine whether it will become part of the Hispanic History Research Center and the Race and Social Justice Collection.
Officials said preserving the collection would help protect not only Lorenzo's memory but also the community's response and calls for justice.
What they're saying:
"This is a public expression of the will of the people. They want to be heard," said community advocate and LULAC member John Hernandez.
"They've got to go to the streets, and they want to place their expressions at the foot of a site like that. That's important because it represents respect, a cry for dignity, and to be heard," Hernandez said.
Hernandez said he hopes the memorial becomes more than a remembrance of Lorenzo.
"I think Lorenzo has been the catalyst for justice in America for all people, every man, woman and child," he said. "I think we need to preserve Lorenzo's memory, but we also need to use this as a moment of action."
He also called on elected officials to continue conversations about public policy in response to the tragedy.
"How could this happen in America?" Hernandez said. "Let us keep asking those questions."
What's next:
While the appearance of the Canal Street memorial will change as construction continues, Araujo's family said the meaning behind it will remain the same through its preservation at the Houston Public Library.
The Source: Information provided by Houston Mayor John Whitmire's Office and FOX 7's Leslie Delasbour.