African American Civil War Memorial and Museum

The African American Civil War Memorial Museum, in the U Street district of Washington, D.C., recognizes the contributions of the United States Colored Troops (USCT). The site consists of a 9-foot bronze statue entitled The Spirit of Freedom by sculptor Ed Hamilton of Louisville, Kentucky, and indoor exhibits at the historic Grimke School, named after Archibald Grimke.

The eponymous memorial, dedicated in July 1998 by the African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation, commemorates the service of 209,145 African-American soldiers and about 7,000 white and 2,145 Hispanic soldiers, together with the approximate 20,000 unsegregated Navy sailors, who fought for the Union in the American Civil War, mostly among the 175 regiments of United States Colored Troops. The Memorial is located at the corner of Vermont Avenue, 10th Street, and U Street NW in Washington, D.C. The statue was commissioned by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 1993, completed in 1997, and dedicated in 1998. The memorial includes a public walking area with curved panel short walls inscribed with the names of the men who served in the war.