BUZZing about Franklin County NAACP’s “Raising the Shade”
Since January 2025, we’ve buzzed with the Franklin County (Va.) NAACP as it has shared the story of the county’s 70 African American men who fought for the Union in the Civil War in the United States Colored Troops.
On Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, at 3:00 pm ET, the NAACP’s work culminates with an Official Monument Unveiling Ceremony at First Baptist Church of Rocky Mount. A reception follows at the Harvester Center. The event is free and open to the public.
While thousands of Confederate monuments dot the U.S., fewer than 25 exist honoring the 200,000 Black men who fought in the United States Colored Troops. With support from Virginia Tech’s Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia, funded by the Mellon Foundation, the NAACP has “raised the shade” on this untold history, the climax of which is a statue sculpted by famed artists Rick Weaver and Paul DiPasquale.
We look forward to filming the event for an upcoming episode on Blue Ridge PBS to culminate our work alongside this inspiring nonprofit!
Catch up on our work highlighting and helping Raising the Shade!
Our episode Feb. 5, 2025 shares the origins of Raising the Shade.
Our episode Aug. 27, 2025 shares the Raising the Shade forum in which scholars from around the U.S. came to Franklin County to share their research.
