On Feb. 3, the Shining Light Foundation had a mural unveiling and celebration in honor of Black History Month and Robert Smalls. The event was a time to acknowledge and honor African Americans’ rich history, achievements, and contributions to the community of East Point, Georgia, and beyond.
Smalls is known in history as a slave who commandeered a Confederate ship and delivered 17 Black passengers from slavery to freedom. Smalls was also in politics, serving for the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1865 and the State Senate in 1871, as he fought for the rights of Black Americans. He also advocated that Black soldiers should be allowed to enlist in the army.
Michael B. Moore, the great-great-grandson of Smalls and Candidate for Congress in South Carolina was present at the mural unveiling and spoke to rolling out about his great-great-grandfather’s legacy.
What is the one thing you want people to know about Robert Smalls?
I think Robert was a person who dared to dream big dreams. You’re enslaved, you are considered less than a human being, you are a piece of property, but he dreamed of big things. He dreamed of freedom, he dreamed of being able to be educated, [and] he dreamed of a lot of things. He had the audacity to fight for those things. He commandeered a boat and sailed it to freedom; it was a life-or-death proposition. That night of May 13, 1862, he was either going to be free, or he was going to be dead. He bet it all and happened to win. I would say that he’s always been an inspiration to me. I would say for all of us out here, we all aspire to things, we all want to do things and be things, so just take a little bit of that inspiration from Robert to give you extra motivation to do it.
What message would you send to that young Black kid who sees the story of Robert Smalls and wants to make a change in the world?
Give yourself permission and freedom to dream big dreams, be focused, and go for it. Don’t let people tell you what you can’t do, or where you can’t go, or what you know; just find something that you are passionate about. You all have passions; just dive in, make it happen, and do it.
