Emancipation and Freedom Monument
The Emancipation and Freedom Monument on Brown's Island, Richmond, Virginia, is a public statue installed on September 22, 2021.[2] The monument includes two 12-foot (3.7 m) bronze statues of an emancipated man and woman with an infant.[3] The woman is holding a piece of paper with the date January 1, 1863 which corresponds with the day U.S. president Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.[4]
| Emancipation and Freedom Monument | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Emancipation and Freedom Monument Location in Virginia  Emancipation and Freedom Monument Location in United States | |
| Artist | Thomas Jay Warren[1] |
| Completion date | 2021 |
| Medium | Bronze statues |
| Subject | Emancipation |
| Dimensions | 12 feet (3.7 m) (height) |
| Location | Brown's Island, Richmond, Virginia |
| 37.5344°N 77.4439°W | |
The monument was designed by Oregon sculptor Thomas Jay Warren.[2] Virginia senator Jennifer McClellan led the commissioning of the statue. According to McClellan, "it's the first state-funded statue celebrating emancipation in the U.S."[2]
Composition
The pedestal features the names, photos, and stories of ten Virginians who participated involved both before and after emancipation.[4]
Pre-emancipation
- Mary Bowser, former enslaved Union spy during the Civil War[4]
- William Harvey Carney, soldier and formerly enslaved[4]
- Gabriel, enslaved blacksmith and rebellion leader[4]
- Dred Scott, enslaved man and plaintiff of Dred Scott v. Sandford[4]
- Nat Turner, enslaved preacher and rebellion leader[4]
Post-emancipation
- Rosa Dixon Bowser, educator and women's rights activist[4]
- John Mercer Langston, politician and academic administrator[4]
- John Mitchell Jr., community activist, newspaper editor, and political candidate[4]
- Lucy F. Simms, educator[4]
- Wyatt Tee Walker, civil rights activist and reverend[4]
Gallery
- view 1
view 2
Emancipation and Freedom Monument Pedestal 01
Emancipation and Freedom Monument Pedestal 02
Emancipation and Freedom Monument Pedestal 03
References
- "Virginia's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission".
- Shivaram, Deepa (September 22, 2021). "An Emancipation Statue Debuts In Virginia Two Weeks After Robert E. Lee Was Removed". NPR. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- "Emancipation monument unveiled in Richmond, Virginia". PBS NewsHour. 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- Coleburn, Caroline; Thompson, Cameron (2021-09-22). "Emancipation and Freedom Monument unveiled on Brown's Island in Richmond". WTVR. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
External links
- "Official Website: Emancipation and Freedom Monument". Virginia's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission.