Serious push underway for black patriot memorial, p. 15

Serious push underway for black patriot memorial, p. 15

"Did you know that when General George Washington made his famous trek across the Delaware River, two blacks, Prince Whipple and Oliver Cromwell were with him?
Did you know that Crispus Attucks, long acknowledged to be the first casualty of the American Revolution, was a runaway slave from Framingham, Mass.?
Maurice Barboza knows. He knows this and other facts about the estimated 5,000 slaves and free blacks who fought for this country’s freedom.
He knows, and he wants all of the country to know -knowledge he feels will enrich our national consciousness.
Barboza, president of the Black Revolution War Patriots Foundation will announce next Tuesday, on the West Terrace of the U.S. Capital the commemoration of the 201th anniversary of the Revolutionary War victory at Harlem Heights, a victory which blacks soldiers shared.
Barboza and his supports have labored hard for national monuments in honor of black patriots and it appears their efforts are about to pay off.
Sometimes this month, the Senate is expected to approve a monument, joining the House in its approval.
Barboza feels the memorial would “make us see that the history of blacks did not begin with the bus boycotts of the 1950s, but had its roots deep in America's past.”
Indeed, Barboza had to look no further than his own family tree. He had long been fascinated by a photograph of his great, great grandfather which hung on his grandmother's living room wall. Perhaps most interesting: his ancestor wore a Civil War Uniform. Barboza said in “1978 or early 1979.” He began to trace his family tree. His efforts led him back to the American Revolution and to a wealth of Black history long over-looked.
Barboza said this new knowledge of black contributions to America made him sad when “black people, or any other people express ambivalence” about participating in America celebrations of the Fourth of July and this year's earlier celebration of the centennial of the Statue of Liberty.
But he’s out to change that. He wants to the country to learn about those men who in many cases demanded to be part of the military.
Tuesday's events has the support of such diverse groups as the National Education Association. The Daughters of American Revolution, the National Urban League, the Vietnam Veterans of America and the Sons of the American Revolution.
“The real purpose of this is to educate the public about the contributions of blacks during the Civil War. And we have to raise money, but the most important thing to raise is conciseness.”
Barboza said his efforts on behalf of Black Revolutionary Patriots has been well received.
“It took a little while, but many people find it kind of resistible,” he said
“We share the love of freedom,” he explained, adding that this love of freedom and struggle for it resulted in the birth of our nationality, a nation consciousness, if you will.
“This is something that is meaning to everyone wheatear they’ve been here for 12 generations or one,” he continued.
In working toward a national monument, specially placement of the Patriots Memorial at Constitution Gardens, Barboza said, it ‘will convey a universal message and inspire anyone facing hardships and, obstacles, regardless of race”
It will Honor extraordinary courage and recognize the courage and recognize the humanity of slaves, as well as their perpetual dreams of freedom and this of all Americans,” he said."

Valerie Smith- Madden

Baltimore Afro-American

1986-9-20