The Statue of Liberty is well-known for its connection to immigration. However, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi created Lady Liberty in 1865 to celebrate a monumental event in U.S. history that had nothing to do with immigration.
It was initially commissioned to celebrate the emancipation of enslaved Black people. On the statue's right foot, broken shackles and a chain disappear under the dress, reappearing in front of the left foot. These broken chains symbolize freedom from slavery.
So why isn’t this more common knowledge?
The direct reference to enslavement was controversial. The abolitionist paying for the statue asked Bartholdi to substitute chains for tablets in Lady Liberty's hands, a more subtle reference to Moses delivering the Israelites from slavery.
He thought this would keep down the controversy. He THOUGHT.
The Black community hated the statue. We let it be known publicly, too. Slavery had ended, but "liberty" was still not accessible to us. In other words, the statue was nothing but foolishness.
Here's the truth: the Statue of Liberty's symbolism is still hypocrisy – on issues of enslavement AND immigration. However, understanding the true story empowers us to look beyond meaningless symbolism and seek real change!