African American Monument, Savannah

Find the African-American Families Monument on Rousakis Plaza along the central section of Savannah’s River Street. As you walk beside the waterfront, look toward the river side of the promenade for a bronze group of four people standing on a tall, pale stone base. The closely gathered figures make this monument easy to distinguish from the other memorials along River Street.

Walk around to the front and examine the family. A father, mother, son, and daughter stand together in a protective embrace, representing an African-American family beginning a new life after emancipation. Although the figures wear modern clothing, broken shackles and chains lying around their feet visibly connect the family’s freedom with their predecessors who endured slavery. The group faces the Savannah River—and, symbolically, further across the Atlantic Ocean, toward the western coast of Africa, where the forced journey of millions of enslaved people began.

Now, move closer to the granite base and look for the inscription by writer Maya Angelou. Her words describe the brutal conditions aboard slave ships, including confinement, disease, death, and bodies being cast into the ocean. When the monument was being planned, some city officials considered the language too graphic for one of Savannah’s busiest tourist promenades. The inscription was ultimately retained but given a more hopeful conclusion: “Today, we are standing up together, with faith and even some joy.”

Designed by Savannah artist and college professor Dorothy Radford Spradley, the monument was erected in 2002 to acknowledge both the history of the transatlantic slave trade and the cultural, educational, economic, social, and spiritual contributions of African Americans to Savannah. Its waterfront position is especially meaningful, as this was once a working port closely connected with the cotton trade and the labor of enslaved people.

Before leaving, inspect the lower part of the base for a separate commemorative plaque unveiled in July 2019. It honors educator and community activist Dr. Abbie H. Jordan, whose persistence, leadership, and financial support were instrumental in bringing Savannah’s first major public monument honoring African Americans to the riverfront.