Emancipation Memorial Turns 150 in D.C.

By Jeffrey Boutwell

Columbia, Maryland

April 13, 2026

Frederick Douglass was there, as was Ulysses S. Grant, both to help celebrate the 150^th anniversary, on Saturday April 11, of the unveiling of the Emancipation Memorial statue in Lincoln Park in Washington, DC.

Civil War reenactors at the Lincoln Park event

As was the case at the original ceremony on April 14, 1876, attended by over 20,000 people, Douglass (portrayed by Darius Wallace) gave a spirited dedication speech while President Grant (Ken Serfass) did the honors of unveiling the statue portraying Abraham Lincoln and Archer Alexander, a former slave.

This year’s event, organized by the National Park Service on a sunny spring day, also featured the Federal City Brass Band and historical re-enactors representing a color guard of soldiers from the United States Colored Troops.  Kevin Bryant, a Park Service ranger, opened the ceremony before a crowd of several hundred, of all ages.

Also contributing to the event was Dorris Keeven-Franke, historian and author from St. Louis, who promotes the legacy of Alexander, who is portrayed on the memorial statue as rising and breaking his chains underneath Lincoln, who holds a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation in his right hand.    

Dorris was part of a panel discussion, along with Lincoln Group past president, David J. Kent, Ida E. Jones of Morgan State University in Baltimore, and Kenny Burns, a historian and DC tour guide. They provided historical and current political context surrounding the statue.

A noted Washington public figure from that era, John Mercer Langston (reenacted by Lambert Butler) was master of ceremonies, accompanied by James E. Yeatman (Mary Maloy) representing the Western Sanitary Commission that helped erect the memorial, paid for by contributions from former slaves, beginning with $5.00 from Charlotte Scott, the first money she earned as a free Black woman in 1865.

The statue has become controversial in recent years, with some demanding its removal because they say it is demeaning to the kneeling slave depicted by Alexander. But others say the former slave is actually rising, to freedom. The Park Service, which owns the park, has given no indication that the statue will be moved.

Photo by Jeffrey Boutwell