African-American Monument (Savannah, Georgia)

African-American Monument (Savannah, Georgia)

Subject (Topic)
African Americans--History
Georgia--Savannah
Public art
Public sculpture
Slavery--Georgia

Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture

Situated on the tourist promenade of River Street, the monument depicts a Black family in contemporary dress. The father, mother, daughter, and son stand on broken chains, holding one another in a tight embrace. Along the base are engravings of ocean waves and two sets of manacled hands. Words by the poet Maya Angelou are inscribed on the granite base.

Spradley, Dorothy, 1946-

Photograph: Wikipedia

July 27, 2002

Abigail Jordan and the African American Monument Association.

Greenscapes Division, Public Works & Water Resources, City of Savannah, 2 East Bay Street, Savannah, Georgia, 31401, United States

JPEG

English

Visual Arts-Sculpture

John Rousakis Riverfront Plaza, Savannah, Georgia, 31401, United States

Inscription on granite base:
“We were stolen, sold and bought together from the African continent. We got on the slave ships together. We lay back to belly in the holds of the slave ships in each other’s excrement and urine together, sometimes died together, and our lifeless bodies thrown overboard together. Today, we are standing up together, with faith and even some joy.” Maya Angelou

Bronze plaque with inscription on base:
Please help the
African American Monument Association
Cover the debt for the
African American Monument
CONTRIBUTIONS MAY BE SENT TO:
National Bank of Commerce
2225 E Victory Drive
Savannah, GA 31404
or call 912-354-4634
FEDERAL ID NO. 58-1944952
Plaque courtesy of the Savannah College of Art and Design

Bronze plaque with inscription added in 2019:
The African American Monument
Dedicated July 27, 2002
In Honor Of
Dr. Abbie H. Jordan
(1925-2019)

Educator, Leader, Trailblazer, and Community Activist
Dr. Jordan’s vision, tenacity, and financial contributions were the driving force that ensured the Savannah Waterfront was the home of the first statue in Savannah that honors African Americans. The Consortium of Doctors, Ltd., an organization that Dr. Jordan founded in 1991, made significant contributions to this effort.

Sculptress: Dorothy Spradley
This plaque unveiled July 26, 2019

132 in. (335.28 cm)

Bronze; Granite

Ater, Renée. “Slavery and Its Memory in Public Monuments.” American Art 24, no. 1 (2010): 20-23.

Alderman, Derek H. “Surrogation and the Politics of Remembering Slavery in Savannah, Georgia (USA).” Journal of Historical Geography 36 (2010): 90–101.

Renée Ater

Sculpture

Approx: 132 in. (335.28 cm)