Living Stones sculpture unveiled, city honors accomplishments of Black Jacksonians

Slabs of stones and circles of steel compose the new "Living Stones sculpture" as Shirlene Mercer Park continues to pay homage to influential African-Americans in Jackson and Madison County through art.

The "Trail of Truth" dedication hosted at the park on Wednesday afternoon comes as a collaboration between the city of Jackson, Union University, and Benson Sculpture LLC to establish a sculpture trail honoring the work, effort, and sacrifices of Jacksonians.

Aaron Lee Benson, who designed the Living Stones sculpture that rests to the left of the beginning of the park's walking trail explained his inspiration and meaning behind the art and in particular, the seating place at the edge of the sculpture.

"It's an east-west axis and north-south axis, Christ will return to the east and the five stones are situated toward the east," Benson said. "And you've got a choice — you can sit facing the stones and facing Christ's return, or you can sit with your back to him. That's the only two options you've got."

He noted that the circle "is the greatest concept in art" and that the steel circles in his sculpture represent God, light, and love.

The stones, which come from what Benson describes as a "mom and pop quarry" in Crab Orchard, Tennessee, symbolize the following individuals that the sculpture honors:

• Gene Huntspon — Jackson's first African-American bus driver for Jackson Transit Authority
• Dr. Kimmie Powell Davis — One of the four Woolworth's lunch counter sit-in participants in downtown Jackson
• Mary Cunningham — The first African-American woman hired by the state to serve in Jackson as the Medicare and Medicaid secretary of quality assurance for the Tennessee Health Department
• David Woolfork — The first African-American sheriff of Madison Co.
• Gil Scott Heron, Madeline Walker, Brenda Monroe, Gillard Glover — The first African-Americans to integrate the Jackson school system

"All these stones represent human beings who worked hard to make this place a better place," Benson said.

This is the park's second sculpture following Benson's previous monument of the Seven Pillars in 2020, also honoring the achievements of Jackson's African-American trailblazers. The Living Stones installation has been a project in the works since the tenure of former mayor Jerry Gist, according to Benson.

Benson, a 27-year-long resident of Jackson, moved to East Tennessee with his wife merely one week before the unveiling of the Living Stones sculpture. He promised to be back at least once a year for the next four years to create more sculptures, each of which will honor five more influential African-American Jacksonians.

He added that Union University President Dub Oliver will partially fund the art installations at Shirlene Mercer Park to continue the commemoration of those who paved the way to allow Jackson to be what it is today.

"We are God's people, doing his work, and we continually and will always declare this park, the Trail of Truth, these sculptures, as proof that this is who we want to be," Benson said.