South Carolina to build first monument to an African American. Meet Robert Smalls

Associated Press

BEAUFORT, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina is preparing to put up the first individual statue of an African American on its Statehouse lawn. The state is looking to honor Robert Smalls. Smalls escaped from slavery in May 1862 by wearing Confederate clothes and mimicking the hand signals and whistles to sail the rebel ship past guards and to the U.S. Navy. He also served in the U.S. House after the Civil War and wrote a constitution that allowed Blacks to vote before racists took back over. A special Statehouse committee is studying the design and location for the Robert Smalls statue and raising money to build the memorial.