The Historic Douglass High School Education & Development Campus unveiled a new sculpture by NoVA artist Jeffery Hall, intended to commemorate and honor the “enduring legacy of Black education and the fight for equality,” according to a news post from Loudoun County Public Schools.
This new statue, called Upward Struggle, stands in front of the former Douglass High School. It depicts two students (a senior and a sophomore) ascending a steep hill. It aims to show the struggle that Black students faced gaining access to education in Loudoun County before the integration of the school system.
This monument is part of an ongoing initiative to preserve the history of the former Douglass High School. Built in 1941, when Loudoun County schools were still segregated, it was Loudoun County’s first and only Black high school. It remained that way until 1968, when the schools were integrated.
“I wanted to convey just how hard the fight for education was over the years,” said Hall. “It’s a thrill to be a part of something that uplifts the history of this school and communicates a story that many may not have been aware of.”
Hall is a longtime Northern Virginia resident and a renowned sculpture artist, known for capturing the likeness of prolific figures such as Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, and Martin Luther King, Jr. He was selected for this piece after an open call for sculptors. He spent more than a year on the piece, drawing inspiration from historical Douglass High School yearbooks and “personal stories of struggle and perseverance,” according to LCPS.
Hall first sculpted the figures out of wire armature, foam, and clay. A rubber mold of the statue was then made and cast in a foundry in Pennsylvania. The final product is a 600-pound sculpture that was mounted on a 1.5-ton base with a lift truck and crane.
Tammy Carter, a representative of the Douglass High School Commemorative Committee, said she was pleased with the result. “The students wanted to show how proud they were to have a school and the pride they took in themselves going to school,” Carter said. “It was important to have [the statue] out front so everyone can see that even though they struggled, they did it with pride and determination.”
The community can also celebrate the legacy of Douglass High School on October 5, at the first Douglass Legacy Day. This commemorative event runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Historic Douglass High School Education and Development Campus at 407 E. Market St. in Leesburg.
Feature image of Jeffery Hall statue courtesy Loudoun County Public Schools/Facebook
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