Town unveils statue of first African-American Life-Saving Service station keeper

MANTEO, N.C. - The Manteo commissioner, youth from the community, the statue's creator and an ancestor of a rescuer at Pea Island unveil a bronze statue of Richard Etheridge Saturday, May 8, 2010. The town of Manteo honored the life saver and civil rights hero with the statue on Roanoke Island.
Etheridge was born into slavery on Roanoke Island in 1842 and went on to become the first African-American in charge of a U.S. Life-Saving Service rescue station. He was in charge of the Pea Island station from 1880 to 1900.
The bronze statue was crafted by Stephen H. Smith over the course of 10 months. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Kendrick)