Site Activation of the Precursors—We Are Texas East Mall Project.

In partnership with MASS Design Group, the East Mall is home to a three-part site activation that familiarizes the campus and visitors with the conceptualization and development of this commemorative space. We are currently in Phase two. Phase three will take place in the fall.

The Ecological Tableau of the East Mall, Phase two
April 22, 2023

The second phase of the Precursors—We are Texas East Mall Project site activation involved a two-part walking tour event designed to help participants understand the ecological, geological, and cultural significance of the East Mall.

The Precursors, Phase one
March 20–31, 2023

The first phase of the site activation ran from March 20–31, 2023, and included an interactive installation that remembered the early Black students at UT and shared some of their stories.

The Precursors–We Are Texas East Mall

The Precursors—We Are Texas East Mall is a commemorative space dedicated to the students, faculty, and staff members who helped the university along its historic path. At the figurative center of this commemoration will be the Precursors – the Black students who integrated the University in the 1950s.  

This commemoration will inhabit UT’s East Mall at the center of the contemporary campus. As currently conceptualized, the walkway stretching from Speedway to the East Mall fountain will become a narrative timeline that articulates the university’s history. Every effort will be made to integrate the living landscape as representational of these narratives. The space between the current fountain and San Jacinto Street will evoke the aspirational future of a plural university.

The Precursors—We Are Texas East Mall will provide a community-building addition to the campus landscape. In doing so, it joins other public-facing campus projects, such as the highly successful Landmarks Public Art Program, in advancing the pedagogical mission of The University of Texas at Austin.