NORFOLK, Va. — A statue honoring Richard A. Tucker, a key figure in Norfolk’s African American history, was unveiled to the public Saturday.
The statue, which sits right in front of the library sharing Tucker’s name, honors his legacy as Norfolk’s first African American principal and an advocate for Black education.
Norfolk Arts describes it as “a life-sized, free-standing bronze sculpture depicting Tucker.” It was created by New York artist Vinnie Bagwell.
"It's a celebration of life," Bagwell told 13News Now. "History is the memory of people and Richard A. Tucker was a tremendous contributor to the city of Norfolk. He was an educator and he made sure that there was equity for children.
"In addition, he was a man of the church, he was clergy and just a tremendous foundation for this city. You can tell by the way the people revere him that they still value his contribution."
The unveiling of the statue took place outside the Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library Saturday morning. For those who want to see the statue, the library is located at 2350 Berkley Avenue.