At their planned No Kings Rally on Saturday, the Jamestown Justice Coalition is looking to help raise funds for the committee that has been working on replacing it for the last few years to try and help make a new statue a reality.

The Underground Railroad Tableau in Dow Park was originally made up of three statues; one honoring abolitionist Silas Sherman, one for free Black woman Catherine Harris and another representing “anonymous fugitives who touched Jamestown in the pursuit of freedom along the Underground Railroad,” which was the statue stolen in 2021. According to a previous Post-Journal article, at the time the statue was estimated to cost $2,000.

Jamestown Justice Coalition Coordinator, Justin Hubbard, said Saturday’s protest will include raising money for the Dow Park statue committee. The No Kings Rally is set to be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday in Dow Park.

“The JJC started at Dow Park back in 2020 and we see it really as our homebase,” Hubbard said. “It’s a very important place for us. So having this opportunity to give back to the park and the people of the community we saw as something we could not miss.”

Pictured is the Underground Railroad Tableau as it currently stands in Dow Park, with the two statues honoring Silas Sherman and Catherine Harrison. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

At the coalition’s last gathering in January they raised money for the New Neighbors Coalition, and were able to donate over $1,300 to them. Hubbard said that is the thing they are most proud of when it comes to their gatherings and protests.

“I understand that people are always going to be more animated, motivated and at times frustrated with national events and national politics,” Hubbard said. “But in all honesty, the biggest impact we can make is local, so that’s what we’ll be doing there by raising that money.”

Overall, Hubbard said the idea behind the JJC holding the No Kings protests is to give people a way to come out and practice their First Amendment rights and to voice their frustrations with what he referred to as the “advancement of the executive branch”.

“This branch seems to be ever expanding, and it has really come into a clear view with this administration,” Hubbard said. “Right now there is absolutely no check on this administration that we see in the White House. That is not how this country is intended to work.”

Hubbard added that if the president has no check on his power it leaves everyone on the ledge of becoming a victim to whatever the president decides should happen, something that he said is shown by him putting his name on everything, trying to “remake our nation in his own likeness” and having the United States mint develop two different coins with his image. Hubbard said up until now it has been illegal to try and put a living president’s likeness on currency, and also cited the ongoing conflict in Iran, which he said many Americans do not support.

“So this is an important time to gather and to speak out, and we will also make an impact on our local community,” Hubbard said.

An online link will be shared by the JJC to donate to the funds for the Dow Park statue if/when one is available. The Underground Railroad Tableau was created by late sculptor David Poulin, and while the police sought more information on the statue in 2021, including an old pickup truck that was believed to be involved, the whereabouts and what exactly happened to the statue remain unknown.