BALTIMORE– Coppin State University, the small public urban institution in Maryland, took another step this week toward linking its historical legacy with evolving events by unveiling a bronze bust of former President Barack Obama in honor of his efforts to acknowledge and recognize people most in need of help.
The bust, unveiled Monday in the university’s library, complements one a few feet away that honors Fanny Jackson Coppin, the former Washington, D.C. slave for whom the former normal school was named in 1926 after its founding in 1900 as a public high school for Blacks.
After gaining her freedom, Coppin graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio and eventually became recognized as a pioneer in teacher education. Historical records say that Fanny Jackson Coppin founded the Philadelphia Institute, forerunner of Cheyney State University.
A standing crowd of more than 125 people weathered rain and chilly temperatures for the early-morning event at which Coppin President Dr. Maria Thompson led other university system officials and alumni in saluting Obama.
“It is only fitting to honor the first African-American president, Barack Obama, on Presidents’ Day,” said Thompson, ticking off brief highlights of his eight years as the nation’s chief executive. Nods of agreement filled the room.
Before Thompson spoke, informal conversations among attendees added more insight into the significance of the Obama bust at the school.
“He is the modern symbol of coming together,” said Coppin State alumna and reference librarian Latrice Curtis. She said busts of Coppin and Obama – a former slave and a former president – complement one another at an educational institution in the middle of a neighborhood known more for the television drama series “The Wire” and the civil unrest in 2015 following the real-life death of Freddie Gray.
