Robert Smalls Monument Proposal

Front Cover

Robert Smalls Michael Matthews

Biography Robert Smalls was born into slavery in 1839, and dealing firsthand injustices at the hands of slave-owners, rose up to be a congressman in South Carolina. During the outbreak of the civil war, Smalls had multiple attempts to purchase freedom for his wife and children, which failed. He was instead on a ship to support supply lines being traded up and down the coast for the confederacy. Smalls would commandeer the vessel, sail it to union territory, and detail his former specific supply routes much to the chagrin of the confederate traitors.

Biography Through the war, Smalls led speaking tours; his escape story paved the way for Lincoln to allow former slaves to join in the fight against their former captors. After the war’s end, Smalls bought the home of his former captors, and became a business owner, built both a school and newspaper, and was elected to both the South Caroline Senate and State House of Representatives, where he served five separate terms.

Significance Robert Smalls fought upwards against a system built against him, managing to achieve one of the highest and most respectable positions in the South Carolina government. His legacy, what he fought for, and how he inspired others, deserves a seat in history for embodying true equality of man. His successes in spite of the Confederacy in South Carolina epitomize the values set forth in the Declaration of Independence, that “all men are created equal�.

Proposal To honor Small’s memory, I propose the construction of a monument to his life.

This artist envisions a 5 foot bust of Small’s head, seated upon a three-foot tall marble podium, with a bronze plaque describing in brief the battles he figuratively fought. The man did amazing things, even greater juxtaposed against racial barriers which would have been in his way. His stern gaze would be reflexive for Mason students, to brave and brazenly stand up against those powers which would oppress them.

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Location 1 The existing vision for this bust would be to have it located in the traffic circle at the Mason Pond Parking Deck and the Mason Circle. The circle is seated by the campus’ gym, which mirrors the tenacity and dominating spirit Robert Smalls epitomizes. The traffic circle also sits at the plateau between two hills, at the top of one and the bottom of another. This artist believes this would represent how Smalls started the climbtowards equality for all African American men and women, while also representing that there still remains a hill for future Generations to climb.

Location 2 As an alternative to being placed on the Mason Campus, it would be fitting to have the statue replace the existing Robert E Lee Statue in the traffic circle at N. Allen Ave in Richmond Virginia. Lee’s statue has been a subject of controversy, as the erupting BLM protests have continued for months. What had once been a graying and forgettable statue, now sits defaced by spray paint, surrounded by portraits of victims of police brutality. In replacing Lee’s statue with one which epitomizes a man who’d broken free from slavery, sends a message of hope and pride for all people of the world.

“My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be equal of anyone. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.�

-Congressman Robert Smalls