In a tribute to the enduring legacy of Black education and the fight for equality, the Historic Douglass High School Education & Development Campus has unveiled a striking new sculpture. Designed by local artist Jeffery Hall, the sculpture stands proudly in front of the school, honoring the Black community's struggle for access to education for their children prior to the full integration of Loudoun’s public schools.
The statue, selected after an open call to sculptors during the renovation of the former school, was the result of extensive research into the history of educational inequality. Hall, who has been a resident of the area since 1985, spent over a year developing the piece, drawing inspiration from historical yearbooks of Douglass School and personal stories of struggle and perseverance. The concept is simple yet profound: two figures, a senior and a 10th grader, ascending a steep hill. The steepness of the hill is deliberately exaggerated, emphasizing the immense challenges faced by the Black community over the decades. One of the key features is the positioning of the figures so that, from certain angles, the school’s American flag can be seen between them, symbolizing their struggle for a place in the broader fabric of American society.
“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.”
The monument itself was constructed using wire armature, foam, and clay to shape the figures before a rubber mold was made and cast in a foundry in Chester, PA. The process, which took over a year, involved intricate detailing in clay, with the final sculpture weighing approximately 600 pounds. The sculpture was brought to the site with a lift truck and crane, where it was carefully mounted on a 1.5-ton base.
Tammy Carter, a representative of the Douglass High School Commemorative Committee, shared how pleased she was with the finished piece. "The students wanted to show how proud they were to have a school and the pride they took in themselves going to school. 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 installation of the statue marked the culmination of a larger project to preserve the history of the former Douglass High School. The high school was built during segregation and was Loudoun County’s first and only Black high school from 1941 to 1968 when segregated education ended in the County.
Local leaders, including Larry Roeder, who also served on the commemorative committee, stressed the importance of preserving this history. “My office is in Douglass, and visitors here who see the statue often remark on not only how beautiful it is but also on its meaning, a monument to the people who struggled in the past and continue to inspire the present since the struggle is not over. We can never be complacent,” Roeder said. “Every day I go to work at Douglass, I see a bit of myself in the statue, representing my appreciation for civil rights; but the Black community needs to take special pride in making the final product their own design. It does not belong to any one person or artist, but to the entire Black community, a true memorial to their ancestors.”
Hall, who also has worked on several high-profile public art pieces, including those at the King Library in Denver, emphasized that collaboration with the committee was essential in capturing the right message. Originally envisioning the female figure holding a bookbag, the artist adjusted the design based on feedback from the committee, opting instead to have her holding books to further symbolize the pursuit of knowledge and better reflect the time period.
“Working on commissions is always interesting because it’s like immersing yourself in a new story,” Hall shared. “In this case, I had to fully grasp the struggles the students faced just to gain access to education.”
As the sculpture has taken its place outside at the front of the school, those involved in the project hope it will serve as a reminder to the broader community of the importance of its message. The statue is not just a piece of art, but a historical marker that invites visitors to reflect on the long, difficult journey toward justice and equality in education.
“We are not proud that they had to fight for education, pay for their education, be cast aside by others for wanting and education,” Carter said. “But it happened and people need to know. We thank the county for what they have done and what they will continue to do to …make sure this never happens again to any race.”