The Emancipation Proclamation, which President Lincoln famously signed in 1863, emancipated slaves all throughout America but also eventually set the stage for his death two years later. Now, a powerful Democrat is attempting to maintain this legacy by working to have a monument commemorating him removed from the famous Lincoln Park in Washington, D.C. His continuing influence continues to inspire people even as we celebrate his accomplishments!
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton redoubled her efforts on February 1 to have the Emancipation Statue removed from a government park in Washington, D.C. The press release from the delegate emphasized that this is an attempt to remember people who were affected by slavery and declared it to be a crucial step toward racial harmony in America “problematic depiction of the fight to achieve emancipation.”
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Rep. Norton expressed worries that the Lincoln monument, which was financed by former slaves and “pressed for their own emancipation” liberation at the time of its dedication in 1876, did not appropriately portray their fight as a whole. Instead, she contended that black people’s perspectives and experiences at this time in history were underrepresented “were grateful for any recognition of their freedom.”
The final Abraham Lincoln monument, according to the National Parks Service, illustrates a complicated history in which African Americans played a crucial role but were not always included when making choices that had a big impact on their daily lives. According to their website, “Black folks paid for it; white folks chose it.” A black man who has not been identified kneels under President Lincoln as he holds the emancipation proclamation, underlining the dynamic.
A monument honoring former slave Archer Alexander was constructed on April 14, 1876, which marked the 11th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s death. Alexander is shown with broken shackles, a symbol of liberation, and is commonly acknowledged as the last person to be apprehended under the Fugitive Slave Act. Almost all African American groups in Washington, D.C., took part in a march to honor this historic date, which is still remembered today!
Norton has spearheaded the effort to move a contentious monument and has argued for its placement in a museum setting. Visitors may learn why this monument has such great value by seeing it in the context of supplementary signs there.
