Senator Dodd Promises Action on War Monument
National Mall Liberty Fund D.C., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was incorporated in Washington, D.C. in May 2005 to build a memorial on land in the monumental core of the nation's capital.  The National Liberty Memorial would honor -- over 5,000 enslaved Americans and free persons of African descent, who volunteered to serve as soldiers and sailors during the American Revolution; tens of thousands of slaves and free persons who rendered civilian assistance that helped win the nation's Independence; slaves who ran away to freedom; and thousands of men, women, and children who petitioned state courts and legislatures for liberty during that era.
Recent News... Senator Dodd Promises Action on War Monument, Ken Byron, courant.com  "Push Continues for Black Colonial Soldiers' Memorial," Brett Zongker, Associated Press (Sunday, August 10, 2008) Ken Byron in "Book Lists Revolutionary War's Black and American Indian Patriots" for the Hartford Courant chronicles the 24-year struggle to prod the Daughters of the American Revolution to fulfill a settlement agreement with Lena Santos Ferguson who was denied membership in the 1980s because of her race.  In May 2008, the DAR finally published "Forgotten Patriots." The book identifies over 6,000 black and Indian patriots of the Revolutionary War.  (See also "Meanwhile, America Could Learn More About its Colorful Past" and "Black DAR Member Is Recognized By Council.") Maurice Barboza testifies on H.R. 1693 before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands on March 6, 2008.(Statement: Full /  Summary)  On Sept 11, 2007, the Subcommittee on National Parks of the U.S. Senate  Committee for Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on S.1051. Statement. Audio. Patrick County, Virginia and over 20 other counties in the Commonwealth have passed resolutions in support of the National Liberty Memorial.   "I’m for honoring these people; they fought. The one thing that bothered me is that they emphasized that they were black. These people, no matter what their color, are all veterans. I want them honored." -- Patrick County, Virginia Supervisor Roger L. Martin, January 8, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- March 29, 2007, Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the National Liberty Memorial Act along with my colleagues, Senators CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, BARACK OBAMA and ELIZABETH DOLE. Representatives DONALD M. PAYNE, WILLIAM LACY CLAY, STEVE COHEN, SHEILA JACKSON-LEE, HENRY C. ‘‘HANK’’ JOHNSON, Jr., NITA M. LOWEY, ALBIO SIRES, and BETTY SUTTON have introduced companion language in the House. Historians and a descendant join The Delaware Humanities Forum for a scholarly symposium: "From Revolution to Republic: The Role of Black Patriots of the 18th Century," Thursday, September 28, 2006.  Descendant Denise Dennis tells the story of her soldier ancestors and the vision for the Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust where generations of the family were buried since the American Revolution.  (See statement of Maurice Barboza, founder of Liberty Fund D.C.) National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission Recommends Site at Constitution Gardens for National Liberty Memorial.  See testimony of Senator Chris Dodd, Maurice Barboza, C. Fred Kleinknecht, teacher Sharon McGeein, and descendants Marion Lane, Daysha Christian and Yolanda Wade.  Charles City County Board of Supervisors Approve Resolution #2006-15 in support of the National Liberty Memorial.  Board chair Michael L. Holmes asks Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine to support similar resolution in General Assembly.  See profiles of Charles City, Virginia, children who are descended from persons of African descent who served as soldiers and patriots in the American Revolution. The complete feature is on the "Three Cultures" page under "Roots Run Deep."  In 2005, the president general of the Sons of the American Revolution, Dr. Roland G. Downing, announced a joint endeavor with Liberty Fund D.C. to increase African American membership.  Soon thereafter, the SAR welcomed over a half dozen black members, including Harvard scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., now a Liberty Fund D.C. board member.  Dr. Downing said, "We need to let every American know this is not an organization just for white men. The Revolution was not a war just for or by white men." Scholars Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Gary B. Nash Urge U.S. Senate to Pass Bill to Authorize Memorial on the National Mall to Blacks in Revolutionary War.  See letter to Senate President Pro Tem Ted Stevens and bibliography. On June 4, 2005, at Gunston Hall Plantation in Mason Neck, Virginia, the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) welcomed four new members. Paul Williams, Sr., Paul Williams, II, Andrew Williams and Devin Williams are descended from Absalom Martin, a free black man who enlisted as a Private on April 25, 1781 for twelve months in Captain William Dennis' Company in the 1st North Carolina Regiment, commanded by Colonel Lighton. For generations, Revolutionary war soldier Cato Mead was thought by Iowans to be white.  At a ceremony on Memorial Day 2006, Gerome Crayton of Keokuk portrayed Cato Mead and citizens from Montrose and the surrounding communities honored their newest African American hero. Liberty Fund D.C. board member Joseph W. Dooley, at a Patriots Day event in New Bedford, explains the posthumous restoration of SAR membership to civil rights leader Dr. W.E.B. Dubois, a descendant of a slave who served in the American Revolution. (See also the story of the Williams Family.) Grassley Works to Create National Liberty Memorial.  Sen. Chuck Grassley today joined Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut to introduce bipartisan legislation to build a memorial that would commemorate the thousands of slaves, including Iowan Cato Mead who served in the American Revolution. The memorial would be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Dover, ex-slave from Norwalk, fought in Revolutionary War. By Judy Cobin,  Hour Correspondent. Editor's note: The following is an historic account of a slave living in Norwalk during the Revolutionary War era. NORWALK — In a census taken by the Colony of Connecticut on Jan. 1, 1774, there were 136 blacks listed as living in Norwalk. One of them was a slave named Dover. "The vision of National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to resurrect this noble endeavor is compelling, practical and achievable. I want you to know that I intend to join you and our colleagues from both parties to ensure the land on the National Mall is preserved and the National Liberty Memorial is finally constructed."  Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, assistant House whip, to Rep. Nancy L. Johnson, November 17, 2005 "…my father's family is Melungeon, a uniquely American group with White, Indian and African ancestry. As a public servant who is active on this county's "Reducing Health Disparities Initiative," I am keenly interested in measures that serve to strengthen the social, psychological, and emotional health of all American cultures, including those of our First Nations and African American people."  Letter from Curtis Christy to Rep. Richard Pombo, October 4,2005
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