State Rep. Wendell Gilliard Appointed to Commission Overseeing Proposed Robert Smalls Statue
Columbia, South Carolina
South Carolina House Speaker Murrell Smith has appointed State Rep. Wendell Gilliard to the Robert Smalls Monument Commission. This follows the unanimous passing of a bill in both the House and Senate that was signed into law by Governor Henry McMaster in May. According to the new law, the Commission will oversee the design and construction of a statue to commemorate Robert Smalls at the Statehouse grounds. The Commission is also responsible for fundraising to finance the project.
A Great Honor
Wendell Gilliard, a representative from Charleston, expressed his pride at being appointed to serve on the Robert Smalls Monument Commission. “My fellow members of the commission and I look forward to the challenge of designing and raising funds for the statue and choosing the best spot for it,” Gilliard said. “Most of all, we wish to honor him in the way that he deserves for his contributions over the course of his life.”
About Robert Smalls
Robert Smalls was born a slave in Beaufort but achieved freedom and fame when he stole a Confederate steamboat, the CSS Planter, handing it over to Union soldiers. This bold move effectively turned the tide of the war in favor of the Union. Post-war, Smalls returned to Beaufort and embarked on a political journey that would lead him to the state legislature and later, five terms in the United States House of Representatives.
The proposed statue will be the first to honor an individual Black South Carolinian on the Statehouse grounds. This is a detail that Gilliard notes means “so very much” to him.
Next Steps
The 11-member Robert Smalls Monument Commission is expected to submit a design for the statue and choose a location proposal by January 15, 2025. This will be the next step in ensuring that Tthe remarkable life and contributions of Robert Smalls are rightly immortalized in South Carolina history and given the recognition they deserve.
Source: HERE News Network
