Bluford Library Archives: 20th Anniversary of the February One Monument
On February 1, 2002, it was a mild morning in Greensboro, North Carolina, when a large crowd gathered outside Dudley Memorial Hall in the historic district of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. All were present for the 52nd-anniversary commemoration of February 1, 1960, the start of the Greensboro Sit-In Movement that transformed America. For a moment, all eyes were fixed on an enormous structure draped in a huge black cloth. Ezell Blair Jr. (Jibreel Khazan), Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, their families, the family of David Richmond, the late Chancellor James C. Renick, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and a host of faculty, staff, students and community members were present when the cloth was pulled away to unveil the February One Monument for the first time.
“February One,” also known as the A&T Four Monument, has become the most iconic symbol on the campus of North Carolina A&T. It captures the strength and determination of the four freshmen, and is a vivid reminder of our most famous date since March 9, 1891. It is listed as one of the top attractions of Greensboro. Visitors, educators and graduating Aggies frequently pose in front of it and look to the towering figures for inspiration. It is hard to imagine the circle in front of Dudley without the monument, and yet it was dedicated just 20 years ago – a short time in A&T’s 131-year legacy.
The idea for a monument to commemorate the Greensboro Four, also known as the A&T Four, came about during a car ride from Burnt Chimney, Virginia, en route to Greensboro. The three passengers were Nettie Rowland ’72, former director of A&T media relations, vice chancellor for university relations Mabel Scott and James “Jim” Barnhill, sculptor and adjunct visual arts professor. The three had visited the portrait bust of Booker T. Washington that Barnhill created for the Booker T. Washington National Monument in 1996. According to Barnhill, the Washington bust that was commissioned by retired Greensboro educator Mae Cynthia Lee was originally planned for the A&T campus, but was ultimately located in Burnt Chimney. Almost simultaneously during the road trip, Rowland and Scott suggested that A&T have a similar monument for the A&T Four by Barnhill.
The concept for an A&T Four monument was approved by Renick, and Barnhill began researching ideas for the monument. Renick did not have to question Barnhill’s credentials for working on the statues. He was already impressed by the art professor’s nationally acclaimed work that was featured in a two-page article written by Rowland for the Fall 2000 edition of A&T Today.
While the Greensboro Four famously started the Sit-In Movement, the images of students at the lunch counter were too static, and Barnhill wanted to create a sense of movement in the final piece. While walking through the Division of Development and University Relations, formerly located in the Dowdy Administrative Building, he saw the famous image of the four freshman walking that was snapped by photographer Jack Moebes. The photo conveyed movement and he decided that it would be the best image to draw inspiration from. The idea was approved by Renick, who also gave Barnhill control on how to interpret the photo. A maquette, or an artist’s small-scale model, was created and also approved by the chancellor.
Initially, Dowdy was to be the home of the new monument. Barnhill suggested University Circle in front of Dudley was a better location. Historically, University Circle served as the site of many meetings during the Sit-In movement that took place in Dudley when it was still the administrative building.
Work on the February One Monument begin in April 2001. The statues took more than 6,000 pounds of clay to create and were cast in bronze. McCain, the tallest of the four in real life, has a statue that stands nearly 10 feet. The final monument with its engraved pedestal stands at 15 feet. Work continued throughout the year while Barnhill also taught four classes a week in Frazier Hall.
The inscription on the mount beneath the A&T Four’s names reads: “FEBRUARY ONE, These four A&T Freshmen envisioned and carried out the lunch counter sit-in of February 1, 1960 in downtown Greensboro. Their courageous act against social injustice inspired similar progress across the nation and is remembered as a defining moment in the struggle for civil rights.”
Reflecting on February One 20 years later, Barnhill is honored and proud that it stands as a testament to the A&T Four, those who have passed on and those who continue their legacy.
Information for this story came from articles & clippings in the February One Monument collection boxes in archives, and a very gracious interview with Barnhill in Frazier Hall. For more information about the February One Monument or the A&T Four, visit our A&T Four information page and our Sit-In Movement LibGuide. For these and other topics in A&T history, please contact us at libraryarchives@ncat.edu. You can also visit us in F.D. Bluford Library. Appointments can be made at https://ncat.libwizard.com/f/archivesappt.
Written by James Stewart ’08
