CLEVELAND, Ohio – A completed sculpture representing a turning point in Black America’s struggle to be heard was unveiled with fanfare, dignitaries, speeches and a lot of symbolism in the city’s University Circle neighborhood on Thursday.
Thursday, the rest of the monument was dedicated as emotional speeches implored the need to remember the moment and carry forward. The importance of the historic moment was not lost on Mitchell, one of the youngest to speak and who remains very cognizant that the platform he has to address issues is rooted in the work of others who came before him.
“You guys had the courage to go out there and do something for something greater than yourselves,” Bickerstaff said, citing the country’s greatness stems from its diverse backbone.“Call the guys, call the guys, tell them to head toward Cleveland,” Wooten remembered. “The champ needs our help.” And 56 years later, the vantage of the summit is still worth examining. To honor the moment moving forward, Wooten said, the mission should be about outreach to young people, to let them know “education and economics is what this whole thing is about.”