South Carolina Forms Robert Smalls Monument Commission

South Carolina Forms Robert Smalls Monument Commission.

Charleston, SC – South Carolina Governor, Henry McMaster, is projected to enact a bill on August 29, that will establish an 11-member legislative commission. The goal of this commission is to create a monument on the Statehouse grounds to commemorate Civil War hero and Reconstruction-era legislator, Robert Smalls.

The newly-formed Robert Smalls Monument Commission will convene for its inaugural meeting on August 28. This meeting will kickstart the process of installing a statue in the Statehouse grounds as a tribute to the Beaufort native. Following the appointment of ten members from the S.C. General Assembly to the commission, Smalls’ statue, could be the first monument recognizing an individual Black person at the state’s capitol complex.

In honor of Robert Smalls, a Reconstruction-era legislator and Civil War hero, South Carolina celebrated its first Robert Smalls Day on May 13. The bill for the formation of the 11-member commission was introduced in the Statehouse by S.C. Rep. Brandon Cox, R-Berkeley. The South Carolina Department of Administration’s director or his designee will act as the commission chair. The bill received unanimous approval in the General Assembly in the most recent legislative session.

Cox, along with four other tri-county legislators, was appointed to the bipartisan commission. He considers the creation of the commission an important step towards unity, and an opportunity to immortalize an exemplary South Carolinian during a time of division.

Robert Smalls’ commitment to freedom and his strategic masterstroke during the Civil War found him commanding the Confederate steamship “Planter”, which he seized and then handed over to the Union Navy. The enslaved crewmen and their families were saved as Smalls successfully navigated the ship past Confederate batteries.

Smalls’ historic move paved the way for his successful journey into politics and business. He served in both the S.C. General Assembly houses and completed five terms in the U.S. Congress.

The commission has the task of fundraising for the monument and must submit a proposed design and location by January 15, 2025. Some members, including Gilliard, suggest a significant location on the Statehouse’s north side.

The monument honoring Robert Smalls, when erected, will serve as the second African American history memorial at the capitol. The African American history monument, completed in 2001, features numerous Black-history trailblazers, but not individually named. Currently, all individual memorials present on the 22-acre Statehouse grounds are dedicated to white men.