WELCOME TO THE HOUSE OF JALANI AND THE LOCK

A Real Story of how one Boy...Jalani was kidnapped and taken into slavery!

----"One of the Best Children's Books for 2001"---The Los Angeles Times

Triumph of the Spirit, a tribute to our ancestors and 10,000 to 20,000 slaves in the African Burial Ground

Dr. Lorenzo Pace

Dr. Lorenzo Pace was born September 29, 1943 in Birmingham, Alabama, moving to Chicago as a teenager. Pace grew up in a strict environment, his father a Church of God-in-Christ minister who had hoped the young Lorenzo would follow in his footsteps. Pace had other ideas. He wanted to explore, and the city he chose was Paris, France. There, the world of art opened up to him and after a year's stay, he returned to Chicago interested in learning the craft of wood carving. He showed great promise. In fact, during his first exhibition at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago where he graduated with both a BFA and a MFA. He went on to receive a doctorate in art education from Illinois State University in 1978. Pace  later moved to New York, like many other artists, pursuing a more supportive artistic environment.

Then in 1993,  Pace and his work skyrocketed to national attention when he was commissioned to build a monument at  New York City's Foley Square paying homage to the African slaves originally buried on that site. In , 1991, the remains of over 400 African slaves were excavated during the construction of a federal building in the city's financial district. The City of New York wanted to create a memorial and Pace was chosen. His work resulted in a beautiful 300-ton granite sculpture named "Triumph of the Human Spirit." However, Pace and other African Americans generated controversy when they boycotted the unveiling ceremony because the day chosen was Columbus Day.

Throughout his career, Pace has worked with a broad range of objects and materials. His sculptures, installations and performance art have received international acclaim and he has exhibited in galleries and museum all over the world. He served as Director of the Montclair State University Art Gallery and presently maintains a studio in Brooklyn.