The City of Franklin, Tennessee unveiled its new statue today commemorating the service of the African American men from the area who served in the United States Colored Troops and who helped liberate enslaved people in the region. You can watch the full ceremony that took place this afternoon here. The video in this Tweet shows the moment of unveiling:
JUST NOW IN FRANKLIN, TN: The United States Colored Troops Soldier Statue on the square was unveiled by children of different races. A great moment. 🇺🇸
It faces CHIP, the Confederate statue in the center of the roundabout. pic.twitter.com/h8lHoxFTKm
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) October 23, 2021
From the Tennessean coverage of the unveiling:
For the first time in Franklin city history, a statue now stands on the historic square honoring the Black enslaved men who enlisted in the U.S. Colored Troops, a segregated part of the Union Army during the Civil War.
The statue was unveiled Saturday during an emotional ceremony commemorating the troops and their sacrifices. They fought not only for their individual freedoms, but for those millions of enslaved men, women and children across the nation. More than 300 men with connections to Williamson County have been identified as USCT soldiers — a number that grows as more men are discovered.
The monument is the showpiece of the Fuller Story project, which was launched to tell a more inclusive and accurate city history, finally including voices long left out.
The statue, of a USCT soldier, stands close to eye-level, so viewers can look into his eyes and see his wisdom, Pastor Chris Williamson said. Williamson is one of the leaders of the Fuller Story project, along with Pastors Hewitt Sawyers and Kevin Riggs and historian Eric Jacobson.
For many in Franklin, the square has long been the center of the community, where they gathered, shopped, ate and enjoyed the city. But for most of the city’s history, that was only guaranteed for white residents. Black residents were forced to use separate water fountains and bathrooms and were forced to get their food at the back of restaurants rather than the front of the house.
Gary Burke, a USCT reenactor who has long championed the stories of the soldiers, said more recognition of the African American experience during the Civil War must be done.
“This is a start, but there should be more education around the subject, especially taught in schools and taught in museums about this rich history,” he said. “It’s a long overdue recognition of the original freedom fighters who fought to solidify their freedoms.”
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Hello Mr. Young. I believe there is an error in the caption under the photo. I have copied and pasted the wording for USCT. United States Colored Troops is correct. Please read the quote & correct. Thank you.
“The City of Franklin, Tennessee unveiled its new statue today commemorating the service of the African American men from the area who served in the United States Confederate Troops and who helped liberate enslaved people in the region. You can watch the full ceremony that took place this afternoon here. The video in this Tweet shows the moment of unveiling:”
Oh my! You are correct, of course. Thanks!
thank you for the coverage!