Robert Smalls​ escaped slavery in Charleston by commandeering a Confederate ship and became a top Union naval officer and South Carolina lawmaker.

Artist Basil Watson is creating the first statue of an African American, Civil War hero Robert Smalls, to be placed on South Carolina's Statehouse grounds.

Basil Watson calls it an honor to create a likeness of Smalls, the first Black person honored with a statue at the SC State House.

Basil Watson, the sculpture of the monument, speaks during the ‘Towards Freedom' monument unveiling on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the corner of North Limestone and Fourth Street in Lexington, Ky.

Sculptor Basil Watson said, “The monument is about togetherness, about moving forward together. Harriet and Lewis worked in tandem. That was important.” ...

The artist behind the piece told NBC6 it was an honor to be apart of this mission as a way to pay homage to a living legend. “Oh it means a lot,” said artist Basil Watson. “Bolt is ...

Thankfully, the same cannot be said for USC’s Desegregation Monument. Crafted by the world-renowned sculptor Basil Watson, the monument is balanced, just and a symbol of equality. Watson based ...

It was a brief encounter, but as with nearly everyone who ever met the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the meeting was impactful. It was 2005 at an art fair and sculptor Basil Watson, just three years ...

A model by Jamaican sculptor Basil Watson for a statue the University of South Carolina commissioned him to create honoring Henrie Monteith Treadwell, Robert Anderson and James Solomon Jr., the ...

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Basil Watson emigrated to the United States in 2002, setting up a home and studio in Lawrenceville. In addition to creating the local Hope Moving Forward monument of the ...