Town of Rocky Mount Approves New Monument at Veterans’ Memorial Park

The Town of Rocky Mount and the Franklin County Veterans’ Memorial Commission in conjunction with
the Franklin County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has approved
the creation and placement of a monument to honor the service of the United States Colored Troops that
fought in the U.S. Civil War—specifically the seventy men from Franklin County that were part of the US
Colored Troops. The purpose of the monument would be to tell this part of our community’s history that
many people are not aware of. Only one other monument for the U.S. Colored Troops has been erected. It
is located in Franklin County, Tennessee. This monument is the culmination of work undertaken by a
Committee of the Franklin County NAACP and a grant from Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia
(MAAV). The grant will pay for all costs associated with the new monument. MAAV works to reclaim,
imagine, document, reinterpret, display, and amplify histories and experiences that highlight collective
struggles for the vitality of people and our shared environment. Their work focuses on people whose
stories have been silenced, denied, or excluded. MAAV is funded by the Mellon Foundation and housed at
Virginia Tech University.

When discussing the recently approved monument, Mayor C. Holland Perdue, III said, “I am not a veteran,
and I would not pretend to know anything about combat or serving. What I do know is that I respect
everyone who has served to keep us safe. This is not a political issue—it is a human issue. Rocky Mount
already has a beautiful monument for those that have died in service to their country. I am proud that
Rocky Mount will now have an additional monument to recognize and honor the seventy black men from
Franklin County that fought for their personal freedom as well as the preservation of the United States.”
The project has been under consideration for some time. The Town of Rocky Mount was approached
earlier this year by the Franklin County NAACP about placement of the monument. The Rocky Mount
Town Council voted unanimously that the Veterans’ Memorial Park would be the ideal place for the
monument, and Council directed Mayor Perdue to send a letter asking the Commission to strongly consider placing the monument at the Veterans’ Memorial Park. Mayor Perdue and Town Manager Robert J. Wood met with the Veterans’ Commission Chair, Gary Solomon, and Vice Chair, Reverend Eddie Hawks. They agreed at that time to put the placement of the monument to a full vote among Commission Members at their meeting on Thursday, June 20th.

At that meeting, the two new members of the Commission, Lucas Tuning and Derek Spencer, introduced
themselves to the Commission. The Commission then held a closed session to discuss legal matters related to the proposed monument then returned to open session. After Mayor Perdue read a prepared statement to the Commission on behalf of the Town Council, the Commission took a vote on accepting the request to place the new monument at the Park. A motion was made to accept the Town Council’s request to allow for the construction of the new monument by Billie W. Stockton who is also the Vice-Mayor of Rocky Mount. The motion was seconded by Derek Spencer who is also an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney in Franklin County. Without further discussion, the Chairman asked for a roll call vote to be taken. The vote was 6-5 in favor of placing the monument in the Park. Those voting in favor of the motion were Billie W. Stockton, Larry Moore, James Jordan, Lucas Tuning, Derek Spencer, and Mark Moore. Those voting against the motion were Chair Gary Solomon, Vice Chair Reverend Eddie Hawks, Vice Chair, Bill Melton, Olyn Peters, and C.B. Reynolds. Commission Member Ronald Coleman was not present at the meeting, and therefore, did not vote. There was a brief discussion following the vote, and the meeting was adjourned.

The following day, the Chair Gary Solomon, Vice Chair Reverend Eddie Hawks, and Commission Member
Olyn Peters resigned from the Veterans’ Memorial Commission. Work on the monument has already begun with renowned sculptor Paul DiPasquale. DiPasquale is a sculptor living and working in Richmond, Virginia. He has designed several public sculptures in Virginia, including the Arthur Ashe Monument on Richmond’s Monument Avenue and King Neptune on Virginia Beach’s boardwalk. The NAACP Committee will now work with professors from Virginia Tech University to educate the community and gather feedback that will be used to help DiPasquale design the monument.

The Franklin County Veterans’ Memorial Park was opened in 2005 and is overseen by the Commission.
Members of the Commission are appointed by and serve at the will of the Rocky Mount Town Council.
The Commission was established by the Town in 2006.