Robert Smalls International Academy in Beaufort, S.C. named after the heroic captain, is the center of controversy over the use of its current website logo. The logo features a male figure dressed in Civil War attire sporting a ponytail, and a black-and-white face split down the middle. Former students at the formerly “Blacks-only” school feel that the logo doesn’t accurately represent Smalls’ contributions to South Carolina or add to his impressive legacy.
Beaufort County superintendent Jeffrey Moss says that students at the school may have chosen the logo, but that local officials and the Robert Smalls Association will collaborate on a new image to represent the academy.
Smalls went on to serve five terms in Congress during the Reconstruction period. In 2007, the U.S. Army named a support vessel after Smalls during a ceremony held in Baltimore, Md.
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Little Known Black History Fact: Robert Smalls was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
