Group Stands with Underground Railroad plague – From left Irene Moore Davis, President Essex County Black Historic Research Society of Windsor; Kimberly Simmons, Chair Black Historic Sites Committee; Ed Dwight, Sculptor; Martha Scott, Wayne County Commissioner; Robert G. Stanton, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of the Interior. (Photo by Karen Hudson Samuels)

Detroit Honors Sculptor of Historic Memorials at 10th Anniversary

By Karen Hudson Samuels/Tell Us Detroit

DETROIT (Tell Us Det)  - Ed Dwight, renowned sculptor of two internationally recognized monuments dedicated to the history of the Underground Railroad, was in Detroit recently to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his memorials: “Gateway to Freedom” at the foot of Hart Plaza and “Freedom Tower” on the shores of Windsor, Canada.

“Public art is a distinctive way to tell a story” said Dwight who spoke at a commemoration of the statures attended by, a Washington D.C. representative from the Interior Department, the curator of the African American Civil War Museum, local officials who brought resolutions and descendents of African Americans who traveled from Windsor to Detroit.

The Underground Railroad monuments were dedicated in 2001 when Detroit celebrated its 300 year history. They symbolize the journey to freedom in large scale statures, nine slaves and a railroad "Conductor" look and point toward Canada, ready to board the boat to cross the Detroit River to safety.

Today, ten years later Kimberly Simmons, Chair of the Black Historic Sites Committee and event organizer, was recognized as one the stewards who worked to preserve the rich Underground Railroad history by Robert G. Stanton, Senior Advisor to Secretary of the Interior.

The “Gateway to Freedom” monument, Stanton said it is “A symbol that should encourage us not to forget our ancestors”. Testimonial resolutions were presented to Ed Dwight by Detroit City Councilman Kwame Kenyatta and Wayne County Commissioner Martha Scott.

Dwight who has done 113 memorials but says the Detroit/Windsor sculptures are by fair his most popular. He said PhD students working on their dissertations and young kids working on school reports write him looking for quotes and insights.

A prolific sculptor Dwight, is working on 30 memorials that include an installation that will go on the Mississippi Delta with three, thirty foot tall sculptures of cotton pickers and the a real live cotton field. A large scale installation in Texas will tell the state’s history Dwight and center on “Juneenth”, the date word of the abolition of slavery finally reached Texas.

At 78, Dwight is still going strong but says he getting old and looking for apprentices, young people to continue his work.