Move monument
Editor, The Commercial:
A request to address the County Judge, Quorum Court and Proper Committees:
The WWII Monument was dedicated in 1947 to African American soldiers from Pine Bluff Jefferson County, Arkansas, and probably the only Monument in Arkansas dedicated in 1947 to Black soldiers. However, the Monument sits segregated from their fellow Veterans.
The Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration, Inc. (PBICVR) led the efforts in 2001 to relocate the Monument from Townsend Park to the courthouse grounds for a more visible location and to prevent further vandalism occurring in the Park.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
PBICVR requests the County Judge and Jefferson County Quorum Court relocate this historic WWII monument to the New Veteran Facility yards away so that it is with other veterans’ memorabilia. I request the opportunity to address this issue at the next Quorum Court or committee meeting.
Seventy-eight years ago, this Monument was placed in Townsend Park, an all-Black Park, because of the racial relations in the community during that time. Relocating it to the New Veteran Building offers an opportunity for visitors and family members with relatives listed on the side of the WWII Monument to view it. It is a win for tourism and an opportunity for the connection between veteran family, friends, and community. For more information please contact us at (870) 730-1131 or (870) 413-6345.
Rev. Jesse C. Turner,
Executive Director,
Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Inc.