“Living Stones” to honor five Jacksonians at Shirlene Mercer Park

Artist Lee Benson unveiled his second sculpture at Shirlene Mercer Park, honoring the Black Jacksonians who helped build the city to what it is. 

Gene Huntspon, Dr. Kimmie Powell Davis, Mary Cunningham, David Woolfork, and Gil Scott Heron were the subjects of “Living Stones,” an abstract piece located at the beginning of the walking trail at the park. 

Five large boulders are placed on a concrete pad, in accordance with the eastern sky. The abstract arrangement is meant to symbolize the trailblazers’ closeness to God. 

“At some time, this should be considered holy ground. If you come to Jackson, this is where you should come. But it's going to take all of us to make it. Otherwise, it'll just be one more thing that gets lost in the shuffle of all the other things. And this shouldn't get lost in the shuffle of all the others,” Benson said during the unveiling. 

Benson’s first sculpture, “Seven Pillars,” was unveiled in 2020. The project has been funded in part by Union University, where Benson taught. 

Julia Ewoldt, julia@jacksonpost.news