by Shawn Nowlin
America’s complicated history cannot be accurately told without acknowledging the significant contributions of Black soldiers over the years.
How history is presented matters. If the Franklin County NAACP is successful with its current objective, then 70 local men who fought in the Civil War as part of the United States Colored Troops will have their monument placed near the Rocky Mount Farmer’s Market.
Commissioned to design the statue are sculptors Paul DiPasquale and Rick Weaver. They, like many others, have made comments supporting the organization’s position.
In a letter sent to the Rocky Mount Town Council, the Franklin County NAACP said, in part, “Due to the time constraints and deadline for the submission of the grant application, all of this work was done verbally and without the benefit of input from the sculptors, and more importantly, the community.”
As a response to the letter, Town Manager Robert Wood said their position remains the same. He also noted, “There is no intention of taking further action to move the proposed location from the Veteran’s Park.”
People’s opinions on the monument differ. Some believe that it should be moved to a location with more visibility while others don’t see what the big deal is.
“The first step of understanding history is understanding the facts. There are thousands of unknown soldiers who have contributed to the fabric of this nation,” Ernest Coleman said. “They all deserve our utmost respect. Those Franklin County soldiers who fought in the Civil War are more than deserving of having their monument at any proposed location.”
Explained Michelle Walker, “I understand that tough decisions often have to be made. I get that. What I don’t get though is why certain people get to have their voices amplified more than others. If it were up to me, the town would accommodate the NAACP’s location request.”
As challenging as it is at times, Walker recognizes that she must resist the urge to give into pessimism and just let things play out.
“If my ancestors could endure what they did and still have faith that things would one day get better, I should easily be able to do the same. At the end of the day, I believe that the right thing will get done,” she added.
Funded through a $285,000 grant from Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia, the official unveiling of the monument is expected to happen in December 2025.
The Roanoke Tribune will continue to report on this developing story.
