Center San Man!

On the eve of an exhibit on the history of the Department of Sanitation, NYU professor Robin Nagle discusses her goal of a full-fledged Sanitation Museum:

It’s long overdue. The department is kind of a victim of its own success. For the most part they do the job so well, you don’t have to think about them. It’s as if they’re forgotten. Sanitation personnel are used to being disregarded, so they forget to celebrate themselves. I have the privilege — since I come from the outside, but straddle both words — to say, “Look at how important you are.”

. . .

This is a modest start. It’s one room. But it signals to the world we have big goals. Once this is done, we’ll sit down and do the homework to file as a not-for-profit and raise money. We envision the museum as a cultural and education center.