Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
New panels highlight Black patriots’ contributions to American Revolution
VALLEY FORGE » Two new interpretive panels were unveiled at the Patriots of African American Descent Monument in Valley Forge National Historical Park.
The panels were unveiled Saturday by the Sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the National Park Service as part of an annual wreath-laying ceremony at the monument.
The ceremony featured a bell ringing, a procession, speakers, and wreath-laying. Participants placed 13 wreaths at the monument to represent the 13 original states, and a brief story of a specific African-descended patriot from that state was read while each wreath was placed.
The new waysides are part of a larger effort across the park service to increase the visibility of the contributions of persons of many underrepresented groups to the American Revolution.
These panels specifically highlight the Patriots of African Descent Monument, the first monument on federal land to commemorate patriots of African descent in the Revolution and one of only a few in the United States. It sits on the edge of the park’s Grand Parade and near the encampment site of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, a storied Continental Army unit comprised mostly of soldiers of African and Native American ancestry. The monument was planned and dedicated in 1993 by the Delta Sigma Theta Patriots Committee of the Valley Forge Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Delta Sigma Theta and park staff worked together to design the themes and layout of the panels, which are intended to connect visitors to the experiences and contributions of Black patriots during the American Revolution. In addition to the new waysides, a stone patio and bench were installed to provide a space for visitors to rest and contemplate. Both new waysides feature custom artwork by Everette Brown, an African American digital artist. Proceeds from the Valley Forge Revolutionary 5-Mile Run provided financing to support the project.
The public is invited to learn more about the history and significance of the Patriots of African Descent Monument by visiting the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov/articles/000/monument-to-patriots-of-african-descent. htm.