ETSU unveiled a new monument in Borchuck Plaza honoring the five African American students who integrated the university in the late 1950s. The monument, located to the left of Sherrod Library’s main entrance, features five statues sculpted by artist Austen Brantley and joins ETSU’s history of integration.
The five students are Eugene Caruthers, Elizabeth W. Crawford, George L. Nichols, Mary L.W. Wagner and Clarence McKinney.
“The original marble fountain from 2013 was meant to honor these students, but it was very abstract; no one really knew what it represented,” said Vice President for Student Success Keith Johnson.
After it was damaged by an Arctic freeze a few years ago, Johnson saw an opportunity to reimagine the way history was commemorated at the university.
“The president asked if I could re-envision something more tangible and less abstract. That’s when we began to design what would later become this monument,” Johnson said.
Johnson led a national search for artists and formed a committee of students, faculty and staff to select the final design. “We wanted something that truly reflected the courage and legacy of these students,” he said. “We had people from as close as Durham to as far as California submit their ideas. Ultimately, Brantley’s work stood out. It took him about seven or eight months to complete.”
At the unveiling ceremony, emotions ran high. “People were reflecting on what it must have been like in the 1950s,” Johnson said. “It was about hope and promise, not just the past.”
Three of the original five students attended the ceremony and were honored throughout Homecoming weekend. “That day was all about them,” Johnson said. “We wanted to celebrate them in a way they had never been celebrated before.”
When asked to describe the day in one word, Johnson replied with “perfect.”
The monument now stands as a symbol of perseverance and inclusion. “I want students to see it as a sign of hope that no matter your background, you can succeed here,” Johnson said.
