Video
Monument to Patriots of African Descent
Transcript
DR. EMMA SILVERMAN: The monument to Patriots of African Descent-- it was unveiled in 1993. So it's one of the newest Revolutionary War Monuments in a National Park. So for that reason, this is the only event in the Lives of Monument series where we have this opportunity to hear from the people who actually brought the monument into being. So I'm going to start with a question for you, Paulette. Can you tell us how this monument came to be? In other words, why did members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc think it was important that a monument exists to tell the history of Patriots of African Descent at Valley Forge?
DR. PAULETTE JONES: The visionary for this project was Dr. Martha Russell, a charter member of Valley Forge Alumni Chapter of Delta. And she is an avid reader and history buff. Martha and I are not only sorority sisters, but we are biological sisters. We were initiated into the sorority at the same time.
So it was not a surprise to me at all when Martha shared that she had read Pennsylvania's Black History by notable historian, Charles L. Blockson. And then she said there was an opportunity for us to partner with Valley Forge National Park. So her love of history paved the way in 1991 as 27 suburban based deltas were coming together to form our new chapter. Martha's vision was shared with our group and history continues to be made.
Following that meeting, we met with then superintendent, Warren Beach. Superintendent Beach was all in. He said the mountain of paperwork necessary for the National Park Service in Washington DC-- don't worry about it, I'll take care of this part. He wanted us to focus on all the other aspects. So Patriots of African Descent became our flagship project. I was the project chair and worked side by side with the chapter's first president, Thelma Williams. She and I spent countless hours in front of community groups, sharing the vision and building community support. Thelma is a powerhouse, and through her leadership and tenacity, we pushed and got the job done.
The making of a monument, which none of us had ever had done before, and we did not know the many challenges to expect. But our focus was not on how to do it but why it needed to be done. It was an essential project. It really needed to be done. And that is what kept us focused. It was our commitment to correct a historical wrong. It's so true that the hands that hold the pen writes history. And there are so many variations of that statement.
But how it impacted the Black Patriots is that their heroic contributions during the American Revolution were often ignored, diminished, or being written out of history. These Patriots were not only being written out of history, in spite of their massive contribution to the growth of this nation, but they were also being dehumanized and classified as less than a person. During our 20th anniversary celebration in 2013, Bill Sumter, the sculptor of the image on the Patriots of African Descent Monument stated, monuments serve a purpose. Honorable deaths are what people look for in war. And that's why monuments are made. Well, many Black Patriots died in their fight for freedom, and their deaths were indeed honorable.
Many painters of African descent were enslaved and fought in exchange for their freedom. Many took the place of their slave masters and were still forced back into slavery. There were a lot of broken promises, there were some kept, more broken than kept. And prominently noted on the back of the monument, it reads, in honor of Patriots of African descent who served, suffered, and sacrificed during the Valley Forge encampment. And then it was followed by a quote from historian Charles L. Blockson, our honorary chair, throughout these historic and hallowed campsite were courageous Black Patriots who participated in our nation's bitter fight for independence.
As we promoted the project, we would always quote, lest we forget their historic quest for freedom, because we must not ever forget and we must always educate, educate, educate. We must teach our children truth. We must reteach to correct the untruth.
Very early in the forming of this nation, a standard was being set to lessen the humanity of all people of color, especially Black people. It is sad and infuriating that we are still fighting that same fight today.
It is, however, a noble and very necessary battle. We must continue at every opportunity to correct historical wrongs. We must, as civil rights activist John Lewis said, get in trouble, good trouble, necessary trouble. And as we know, there is so much necessary trouble. Visiting the Patriots of African Descent Monument presents an opportunity to initiate truthful conversations of American history.
There are many school field trips to Valley Forge. It is a perfect opportunity for educators to share the contributions of Black Americans and teach them about the many noble acts of these Patriots during the American Revolution. There are many family activities at the park as well. And the Patriots of African Descent Monument creates opportunities for personal family conversations and research.
As an organization, Delta Sigma Theta first official act was to be part of the women's suffrage movement. It was to be a part of correcting a political wrong. Since the inception of Delta in 1913, the organization has been in the forefront of change and social action. So it is such an honor, such a privilege, at the formation of Valley Forge Alumnae that we had the opportunity 28 years ago to have a lifetime impact flagship project-- Patriots of African Descent. It was most eloquently stated by Lillian Benbow, the 15th national president of Delta Sigma Theta, "We come not to break new ground, but to lay claim to old ground which is ours, for which we have been endowed with the genius to make new."
This quote was dated years before the monument was even a concept but fit so perfectly as if it were designed just for our moment. We must educate, educate, educate. We must correct historical wrongs at every opportunity. Lest we forget their historic quest for freedom. Thank you.
DR. EMMA SILVERMAN: Paulette, thank you so much for so powerfully elucidating the importance of the monument and why you all-- as you said, you are to push to get it done. I think that will not be a surprise to anyone who is at the first two events in the series.
We talked about how the Bunker Hill Monument took decades and then the Yorktown Victory Monument over a century to actually get built. So I would love to hear from Deanna-- tell us about the process of bringing this monument into existence in really just a very short time frame.
You all got it done in a handful of years versus decades or a century. And that's a process that involves fundraising, selecting the artist, the development of the design. Deanna, can you please tell us more about that?
DEANNA SHELTON: Sure. It was fortuitous for us that the sorority had started an initiative Project Cherish which was to be a national program for the preservation and beautification of African-American landmarks and historical sites.
Our dream project now also fit within the programming guidelines the sorority sets for its chapters. Finding the funding for such a monumental task-- and the pun is intended-- was daunting. We knew that the resources of our group of 27 would not be enough. Though when we initially started, we had no idea the amount of money we would need. We just knew we wanted something bigger than an ordinary gravestone.
We came up with the idea to design a poster which we could sell to raise money. After interviewing and reviewing the proposed pictures of a number of artists, we decided the Cal Massey of New Jersey would be the artist whose work we would use. Mr. Massey had a national reputation, and his work was on display at Ellis Island where his liberte honored those Black people who migrated to our country from the Caribbean.
His work was also on display at the airport in Atlanta and had appeared in Essence and other popular magazines. We especially liked his interpretation. These are Mr Massey's words-- Greg?
"The rendering is embraced by a caressing arch, symbolic of spirituality. Three reinforcements are symmetrically fastened to the arch representing service, suffering, and sacrifice. A bust of three fully uniformed soldiers personifies dignity. The soldiers are faced in three distinct directions, symbolic of their poignant and peculiar plight-- excuse me. Three men who fought and hope for an honorable existence. Slaves who were granted freedom but later sought acceptance for Satan's slaves whose promise of freedom was abandoned."
"Surmounting the Patriots is a flock of doves in flight which manifests a zealous yearning for freedom. The Laurel wreath below signifies victory and honor. The 17 leaves on each side represent a noble cry for equality." End quote.
Our poster idea had now evolved into the production of a beautiful limited edition print from an artist with a national reputation. Since we wanted something more elegant than a plain gravestone, we talked about having some sort of sculpture or embellishment on the stone.
Thank you, Greg.
Mr. Massey introduced us to Phil Sumter who had done many sculptures featuring Black Buffalo soldiers. Mr. Sumter had worked with a stone company in Vermont. And when he showed us a sample of had in mind, the project became much bigger than even a large gravestone. We were fortunate that the people we chose to help us helped us raise the funds also.
Mr. Massey, Mr. Sumter, and Michael Williams of the Williams Memorial and Marker company each told us that they felt honored to be a part of the project and were willing to step out on faith with us. We paid as we progressed. It was sort of like a lay away.
[LAUGHS]
Much of the publicity we received for the project was because of the stature of the men who were working with us. The project was mentioned in many Philadelphia area media outlets. Channel Six was that the going away party for Mr. Sumter's cast when it was sent to Vermont. They also covered the festivities at the park in June.
Major papers like the Philadelphia Tribune, the Philadelphia New Observer, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the suburban papers from the communities where our members lived ran articles. And these articles generated print sales and contacts. We were also given the opportunity to be guest on radio shows to tout the project.
I have to emphasize that this monument was funded by grassroots efforts. Most of the civic organizations we approached gave us $1,000. Get enough of them. Our biggest donor was a private citizen who heard us on the radio and sent $5,000. Mr. Blockson had a book signing party. Tony Nash, a TV host, invited us to receive the proceeds from a reception she was hosting to mark a milestone show where Mr. Massey signed prints. We then sold sponsorships for having your name included on the plaque affixed to the back of the monument.
These efforts all put us solidly in the game.
We had the funding to make the monument a reality. Our project which started with a dream eventually cost about $100,000.
That's how we got the money.
DR. EMMA SILVERMAN: That is an incredible story. And I saw a question in the chat come up about the print.
You can purchase the prints, and I'll talk more about that at the end of our program. If you're curious about that, amazing print that's behind Paulette and Deanna.
So this is so great. You've given us such a good sense of why you wanted to go through this arduous process of building the monument and also what it took to get the monument up.
I mean, yeah, $1,000 donations-- need a lot of those to equal $100,000. So that's amazing.
My last question is for both of you.
What can you tell us about the life of the monument since it's been built?
So in other words, how have you experience or how have you noticed it impacting visitors to the park and then also the wider community?
DR. PAULETTE JONES: In many aspects, the monument is young. It's just 28 years young. And the world of monuments, that's a baby.
Valley Forge Alumnae has annual commemorations with a wreath laying ceremony every June. For the past 28 years, we felt it was important to come together and honor these Patriots.
Although it is a public event, the attendance is modest. But it is growing year by year. During our milestone year such as the 10th, the 20th, and 25th anniversaries, larger events were planned and subsequently larger crowds were drawn.
For the first time, we will host virtual wreath laying on June 19th of this year. A link will be made available for that event. Our next milestone event will be the 30th anniversary in June 2023. So be on the lookout. It will be a grand event.
The Patriots of African Descent Monument is located on a highly traveled part of the park on route 23, and it does get a lot of exposure. Yet in another realm, many people still are not aware of its existence. It is the only monument that honors Black Patriots on federal ground.
In spite of not having the awareness level that we hope, for some, somehow, hate had reared its ugly head in 1997 and then again in 1998 with hate statements and hate symbols spray painted on the monument. One of the vandals were caught and prosecuted and the other was never found.
The monument has certainly received more positive than negative attention. It is very important that children see where they fit in history in a positive way. Patriots of African Descent helps to fill that void.
For example, through this project, we learned that one of our charter members, Wanda Polk Bankhead, is a direct descendant of a Revolutionary War Patriot. This type of information adds connection. We are hopeful that events such as this will spread the word and Patriots of African Descent Monument at Valley Forge park will be a destination point for schools and for families so that we can continue to educate, educate, educate. Lest we forget their heroic quest for freedom.
Thank you.
DEANNA SHELTON: Most people agree that the monument is an impressive work of art. A Park Ranger told us that initially, there were many close call fender benders with cars slamming on brakes to see the monument when they came over the crest of the road.
Since it sits on a main throughway in the park, many walkers, joggers, and bikers pass by it on a daily basis. I have passed by and seen people taking pictures. Since the dedication, each year, we have sponsored an essay contest for middle school students from our service area.
Many social science teachers have embraced the project. And we have had some very innovative entries. We invite the winners and their parents to an anniversary celebration and wreath laying ceremony in June. And most of the time, the parents are very complimentary and say they will return again.
People are still being awakened to the fact that Blacks served in the Revolutionary War though. Our quest to make visible the invisible heroes has made some strides.
There was the Today Show segment featuring the monument in 1995, and there was even a question on Jeopardy, February 14th, 2014, in the African-American history category.
The chapter has-- excuse me-- the chapter was invited to participate in a program sponsored by the US Postal Service when stamps honoring the Buffalo soldiers were being issued in 1994.
They gave us a cancelation citing our effort, quote, "To continue to reclaim and foster truths regarding Blacks in American history", enquote. So our project has, we hope, made an impact.
Description
Dr. Paulette Jones and Mrs. Deanna Shelton describe how the Valley Forge Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. designed, fundraised, and constructed the Monument to Patriots of African Descent.
Duration
18 minutes, 24 seconds
Credit
Emma Zimmerman
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