Mr. Hamilton has my Enfield musket which he has used as a model for purposes of determining its heft and balance as it would be in the hands of the soldier figures. The presentation he used was of his sculpture of Booker T. Washington for Hampton University, a 9 foot figure on a 6 foot base, and a large statue of Joe Louis for the City of Detroit. The point is, the construction of the memorial by the sculptor is in hand. The construction of the site on which it is to be set has been proceeding more slowly. Contracts were being let for its various aspects.
Fund raising continues to be troublesome.
I would offer that we all should proceed, on faith, with the reality of the memorial, in the same manner as financial contibutors are being asked. General Colin Powell, who was the Chairman of the effort to establish the memorial to the Buffalo Soldiers at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, is also a contributor to the African-American Civil War Memorial. An extensive collection of links regarding African American's in the Civil War Can be Found on the 54th.