St. Augustine Foot Soldiers Monument

[1][2] The 675 lb bronze monument – designed by sculptor Brian R. Owens of Deltona, Florida – features four life-size portraits of anonymous foot soldiers placed shoulder to shoulder, in front of a relief illustrating a protest in the same Plaza where the monument is now installed.

[3] The Project – a non-profit tax-exempt organization separate from government – desired to install a monument in the Plaza, which is owned by the city.

it was named the Slave Market in order to promote it as a tourist attraction in the early 20th century on post cards.

The Plaza is prominent, unique in appearance and natural beauty and crossed by large numbers of tourists.

In April 2009, the St. Augustine City Commissioners amended a City Code that precluded the placement of monuments in the Plaza celebrating historical events occurring after February 21, 1821, so that this monument could be installed, recognizing as historian David Nolan put it - "the most important event in St. Augustine's modern history".

Barbara H. Vickers, 88 years old (as of the unveiling), a native of St. Augustine and Foot Soldier who marched in the early 1960s, conceived the idea of creating a public art monument and began to organize the Project in 2005.

The object was to complete a monument (a bronze sculpture and base), install it in the historic Plaza De La Constitucion and then give it to the city.

This required thorough and formal communication with City officials at every stage of the process, including the selection of the sculptor, presentations showing the design and the release of technical details related to durability and safety.

[17][18] As the monument neared completion, the City finished construction needed to prepare the site, including a circular concrete walkway, sidewalks, landscaping and coquina benches.

[8][21][22] The keynote speaker, Henry (Hank) Thomas, a native of St. Augustine, was one of the first to be arrested for attempting to be served at Woolworth's in 1961,[23] two years before the Civil Rights Movement actions which commenced there in 1963.

[24] Hank Thomas' speech included an account of how his system of beliefs and faith helped him survive extraordinary acts of mob violence and attempted murder.

The monument is connected and featured on a system of signage that is accessible to the blind and the sighted called the TOUCH (Tactile Orientation for Understanding Creativity and History) St. Augustine Braille Trail.