South Carolina is preparing to honor Robert Smalls, a former slave who became a prominent political leader, by erecting the first statue of an individual African American on its Statehouse lawn. Smalls, famous for his daring escape during the Civil War, will be recognized for his broader contributions to racial equality and education.

Robert Smalls escaped slavery by stealing a slaveowners ship and later became a South Carolina political leader, championing equal rights and literacy. Soon hell be honored as the first individual Black person to get a statue on the Statehouse lawn. AP video Jeffrey Collins