Groundbreaking Ceremony for Robert Smalls Statue
On May 11th, 2026, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on the SC State House grounds for a monument honoring Black South Carolinian Robert Smalls, the first monument on the grounds to celebrate an individual African American. Smalls was formerly enslaved but earned his freedom after comandeering a Confederate ship and turning it over to the United States Navy. Smalls went on to serve in the SC house of Representatives, the SC Senate, and the US House of Representatives, advocating for the political rights of African Americans.