AFRICAN AMERICAN VETERANS MONUMENT INC

The project was introduced to the community in 2016. New York State Assembly Majority Leader, Crystal Peoples-Stokes, committed to convening a committee to plan the construction of the African American Veterans Monument (AAVM). The construction and development of New York State’s and the country’s first Monument to honor all African American soldiers who fought in the Nation’s wars is currently taking place. African Americans have served in all 12 of the country’s major conflicts, beginning with the Revolutionary War in 1775. The AAVM will celebrate all veterans but specifically highlight African American contributions to the U.S. armed forces through multiple generations that have often gone overlooked throughout American history. Simultaneously, the AAVM supports, recognizes, and celebrates the contributions of all U.S. veterans from all six branches of armed service.

A disenfranchised group, African American Veterans, fought for the ideals of our country since its inception, despite facing unequal representation, disrespect, and disregard for their basic civil rights.

The design of the African American Veterans Monument is a matrix, serving as both a timeline and map of geographical coordinates. Each of the 12 black concrete pillars that are 10 feet tall and 3 feet wide, will be placed in a chronological sequence according to the longitudinal coordinates. These coordinates correspond to the dates that each of the country’s 12 military conflicts took place. The matrix’s latitudinal coordinates represent the location where the war began. The spacing between the pillars represents peace times between each war. The tops of the 12 black concrete pillars will illuminate via LED lights, signifying the candles that families would put in their windows as a beacon to guide a soldier home. The light emanating from the top of each pillar will continuously glow as an eternal reminder of the commitments made by African American Veterans. The light emanating from the top of each pillar will continuously glow as an eternal reminder of the commitments made by African American Veterans. The AAVM extends the current footprint of The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park on Buffalo’s waterfront.

The AAVM looks to raise the consciousness of visitors by providing individuals both young and old with the opportunity to learn about African American cultural history. The AAVM will have a significant impact on visitors to Buffalo’s Canalside, the waterfront and the Erie Basin Marina. It will provide patrons with the opportunity to learn more about the sacrifices and contributions made by African Americans amid extremely challenging times including slavery, segregation, and more all to benefit the greater good of the American people. Only a small percentage of our stories are known publicly, this interactive exhibit will provide visitors with an interactive tour with background on each conflict and personal accounts from African American soldiers and/or their respective families. We have been in communication with the National Parks Department and the Department of the Interior regarding efforts to obtain national monument/landmark status.