MANTEO,
N.C. - The town of Manteo honored life saver and civil rights hero
Richard Etheridge with a bronze statue which was unveiled May 8, 2010 on
Roanoke Island. Etheridge was born into slavery on Roanoke Island in
1842 and went on to become the first African-American in charge of a
U.S. Life-Saving Service rescue station. He was in charge of the Pea
Island station from 1880 to 1900.
The bronze statue was crafted by Stephen H. Smith over the course of
10 months.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Kendrick |