List of artworks commemorating African Americans in Washington, D.C. facts for kids

Washington, D.C. is home to many statues and memorials. Some of these special artworks honor African Americans. They celebrate their important struggles and amazing contributions to history. These artworks help us remember the brave people who shaped America. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, opened in 2011, is one of the most famous. Before it, there were thirteen other artworks that also honored African Americans. A writer named Jacqueline Trescott noted that not many memorials in D.C. focused on black citizens. She also found four other memorials that included African Americans in their designs.

Important Artworks to See

Here is a list of artworks in Washington, D.C. that honor African Americans:

• A. Philip Randolph bust
  • This artwork is a sculpture of the head and shoulders of A. Philip Randolph. He was a very important leader in the civil rights movement. The bust was created by Ed Dwight. You can find it inside Union Station.

• Emancipation Memorial
  • This memorial shows Abraham Lincoln with a newly freed enslaved person. It celebrates the end of slavery. The artist was Thomas Ball. It is located in Lincoln Park.

• (Here I Stand) In the Spirit of Paul Robeson
  • This artwork honors Paul Robeson, who was a singer, actor, and activist. It was made by Allen Uzikee Nelson. You can see it in the Petworth neighborhood, where Georgia Avenue, Varnum Street, and Kansas Avenue meet.

• Josh Gibson
  • This is a full-size statue of Josh Gibson, a legendary baseball player. It was created by Omri Amrany and Julie Rotblatt-Amrany. The statue is at Nationals Park, where the Washington Nationals baseball team plays.

• Lady Fortitude
  • This statue represents strength and courage. It was created by James King. You can find it at Howard University, a famous historically black university.

• Dr. King bust
  • This is a sculpture of the head and shoulders of Martin Luther King, Jr., a famous civil rights leader. It was made by John Wilson. The bust is in the United States Capitol Rotunda, a special room in the U.S. Capitol Building.

• Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial
  • This is a life-sized statue of Mary McLeod Bethune. She was an educator and civil rights activist. The artist was Robert Berks. This statue is also in Lincoln Park.

• Negro Mother and Child
  • This sculpture shows a mother and child. It was created by Maurice Glickman. You can see it in the basement courtyard of the Interior Department building, located at C Street and 18th Street, N.W..

• Spirit of Freedom: African American Civil War Memorial
  • This memorial honors the African American soldiers who fought in the American Civil War. It was made by Ed Hamilton. It is located at 10th Street and U Street, N.W.

• Bust of Sojourner Truth
  • This is a sculpture of the head and shoulders of Sojourner Truth, who was an abolitionist and women's rights activist. It was created by Artis Lane. You can find it in the Capitol Visitor Center.

• Saint Martin de Porres
  • This statue honors Saint Martin de Porres, a saint known for helping others. It was made by Thomas McGlynn. The statue is at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 1600 Morris Road, S.E..

• The Progress of the Negro Race
  • This is a terra cotta frieze, which is a long band of sculpted decoration. It shows the progress of the African American community. The artist was Daniel Gillette Olney. It is located at Langston Terrace Dwellings, 21st Street and Benning Road N.E..

• The Shaw Memorial
  • This artwork is a plaster cast of a sculpture that honors Robert Gould Shaw and the African American soldiers he led during the Civil War. It was made by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. You can see it at the National Gallery of Art. The inscription on the cast reads: "ROBERT GOULD SHAW – KILLED WHILE LEADING THE ASSAVLT ON FORT WAGNER JVLY TWENTY THIRD EIGHTEEN HVNDRED AND SIXTY THREE."

Other Memorials with African American Figures

Some other memorials in Washington, D.C. also include African Americans in their designs, even if they are not the main focus:

• The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, designed by Frederick E. Hart.
• The Korean War Veterans Memorial, designed by Frank Gaylord II.
• The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, with an overall design by Lawrence Halprin.
• The Vietnam Women's Memorial, created by Glenna Goodacre.

Photo gallery

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  Emancipation Memorial

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  Mary McLeod Bethune sculpture

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  Shaw Memorial

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  Martin Luther King, Jr. bust in Capitol Rotunda

See also

• Rosa Parks (National Statuary Hall)
• Frederick Douglass (Capitol Building)
• Marion Barry (Washington City Council Building)
• Cornerstones of History
• List of African-American historic places in the District of Columbia
• List of museums focused on African Americans
• List of streets named after Martin Luther King Jr.