Staff Reports
Alachua County will be honoring Dr. Patricia Hillard-Nunn’s life and legacy with the unveiling of the Sankofa Statue on Monday.
The statue will be revealed at 10 a.m. on the West Lawn of the County Administration Building (12 SE 1st St).
Guest speakers will include Dr. Kenneth Nunn, Alachua County Commission Chair Anna Prizzia, Alachua County Commissioner Charles “Chuck” Chestnut IV, Alachua County Poet Laureate E. Stanley Richardson, Nii Sowa La, D. Ayoka Sowa La, Vivian Filer, Nkwanda Jah, James Essegbey, David Ruiz and George Gadson.
Hillard-Nunn taught African and African American history at the University of Florida and lectured throughout Alachua County. Her lectures stressed the importance of “Sankofa.”
The Sankofa bird is a symbol of wisdom from the Akan people of West Africa. The statue represents honoring roots, embracing history and carrying forward the ancestors’ lessons and experiences.
For more information, view the Documentary “In the Shadow of Plantations” written and hosted by Dr. Nunn and produced by Alachua County.
The Alachua County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved moving forward with a statue for Hillard-Nunn at a December 2021 meeting. Hilliard-Nunn passed away in August 2020.
Is there some place we can find information about how to get statues built for others? I don’t understand how this process works and haven’t heard of other statues being built at taxpayer expense.
It does sound interesting, and we should definitely have statues commemorating our important people – if the taxpayers are willing.