Our Story

We are raising money to create twin monuments in USVI and Denmark commemorating resistance against colonial rule. The project is initiated by La Vaughn Belle/U.S. Virgin Islands and Jeannette Ehlers/Denmark-two artists connected by their shared Caribbean roots and colonial histories. We debuted a mock-up in March 2018 in front of the West Indian warehouse in Copenhagen in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the sale and transfer of the Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands) to the United States. As the first monument to a Black woman in Denmark, I Am Queen Mary made international headlines as a symbol that celebrates and centers the story of people who resisted Danish colonialism in the Caribbean. In 2020 the Danish government granted permission to permanently install I Am Queen Mary in front of a former colonial warehouse in Copenhagen, acknowledging the work’s shift  from a temporary artwork to an important landmark in the city.

In December 2020 a winter storm severely damaged the monument in Copenhagen. The figure was removed and an Augmented Reality version of the sculpture was developed to activate new dialogues. More information about our project can be found at www.iamqueenmary.com.

What We Need & What You Get

So many people along the way have asked us how they could help make this work permanent in Denmark and how they could help bring the monument to the Virgin Islands. Here is your chance. Your donation will help make our goal a reality, and make you a part of the project as this also belongs to you. We are raising in total over 7 million Danish kroner (1 million USD). This crowdfunding campaign is an essential part of our larger fundraising strategy. We are well on our way, as the Danish government pledged 1 million Danish kroner ($160,000 USD) with the condition that we raise the rest. 

As a part of our campaign we have developed a series of amazing rewards in exchange for your generous support. We have a beautiful partnership with the All Power To The People Project to do an exclusive edition of t-shirts, hoodies and tote bags to support raising funds for I Am Queen Mary.

All Power To The People Project exists to inspire and empower each generation by creating products that communicate the history and global impact of the Black Panther Party.

Our pose in the figure of I Am Queen Mary was inspired by the iconic image of one of its leaders, Huey P. Newton. As President of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, his widow, Fredrika Newton together with designer Rachel Konte, co-own the brand All Power To The People Project. We are thrilled to be working with them. 

We also designed exclusive prints that combine images from rubbings from the coral stones that were cut from the ocean by enslaved Africans with the image of the 3D body scan renderings that were used to create the figure in I Am Queen Mary.

We also recognize that some people do not want to receive any material reward for their donation. We honor that by offering a series of “eco-options”.

If you are not able to donate to our project you can still help. Please share in your networks the links to our campaign and tell your friends and family about the project.

The Impact

At the time of the inauguration in 2018 our project was featured in over 100 media outlets around the world in over 20 countries with an estimated global reach of over 1 billion. This coverage demonstrated that our story resonated with so many people because colonialism and resistance against it is a global story. Since then, I Am Queen Mary has been featured in blogs, academic journals, books, textbooks, TV shows and documentaries. This has been the project’s greatest impact- the ability to create powerful and transformative dialogues.

Risks & Challenges

There have been many challenges along the way. We first had to raise the money to even get a temporary installation-we did that. Then, we had to work on getting the permanent permission in Denmark-we did that too! We are in the process of finalizing the permission in the Virgin Islands and having enough funds is a part of that. Regardless of whether we reach our crowdfunding campaign goal, our plan is to continue fundraising money and seeking philanthropic foundations for their support. We are determined to make this project a reality.