Mobile, Alabama

Isom Clemon Civil Rights Memorial Park

Client
City of Mobile
Contractor
S.C. Stagner Contracting, Inc.
Size
25,000 square feet

Named in honor of Isom Clemon, longtime leader of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) Local 1410 and a key figure in Mobile’s civil rights movement, the park stands in the shadow of the ILA offices where Clemon devoted much of his life to advocating for justice. As the first of many planned projects within the city’s burgeoning Civil Rights and Cultural Heritage District, Isom Clemon Civil Rights Memorial Park lays the foundation for future preservation projects in the district. Moreover, it provides a physical memorial to one of the city’s most storied leaders in labor and civil rights.

“Working with the various groups involved in this project has been a rewarding and educational experience,” said GMC landscape architect Matt Hinton. “Understanding what Isom Clemon means to Mobile, I’m proud to be part of this effort to memorialize his legacy and revitalize The Avenue for future generations.”
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A force for good

The park features a large bronze statue of Isom Clemon in a central plaza encircled by educational plaques that provide history and context to the labor movement in Mobile. Another installment within the park, named “The Guardian of Labor, Liberty, and Love” stands in commemoration of the men and women of the ILA Local 1410 and their efforts to be respected for their labor, to achieve true liberty and to share their love of life with all people.

A legacy for Mobile

Designed as both a memorial and community space, the park includes a shaded picnic area for ILA workers, a green space for events and a vibrant play area designed with input from children at nearby Florence Howard Elementary School. Now the life and legacy of Clemon will be forever highlighted in Mobile through the park. GMC provided landscape architecture, surveying and civil and electrical engineering services for the park, which was constructed by S.C. Stagner Contracting, Inc.

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