Marion Motley statue to be unveiled Aug. 3

Kelly Byer, The Repository
·2 min read
Crews from Karvo Companies set forms for cement to be poured for the Marion Motley statue at Stadium Park in Canton.
Crews from Karvo Companies set forms for cement to be poured for the Marion Motley statue at Stadium Park in Canton.

CANTON – A statue honoring Marion Motley will be unveiled at noon Aug. 3 near Stadium Park Drive and Harrison Avenue NW in Stadium Park.

"We're going to invite several members of the (Motley) family, and there are several members that live in Northeast Ohio," said Dave Jingo, one of the organizers behind the plans.

The campaign to honor Motley, a McKinley High School graduate and one of the first Black football players in the modern era, began in 2020. Marion Motley Avenue NE was the only commemoration of Motley in Canton, where the Hall of Famer was raised and became an active community member.

More: Marion Motley honored with 5K, memorial design started

The memorial fund committee — which consists of Jingo, Jill Thomas, Mike Hairston, Antonio Hall and R.J. Van Almen — raised about $128,500 for the memorial just east of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They hosted a groundbreaking last summer, and work on the site began in earnest this year.

A statue honoring Marion Motely will be unveiled at noon Aug. 3 near Stadium Park Drive and Harrison Avenue NW in Stadium Park.
A statue honoring Marion Motely will be unveiled at noon Aug. 3 near Stadium Park Drive and Harrison Avenue NW in Stadium Park.

"We have the wall was constructed, the pedestal has been constructed. They're going to backfill and add the little plaza area and the sidewalks here very soon," Jingo said. "We are scheduling for the statute to be transported from Pittsburgh here to Canton here in the next couple of weeks."

Local artist Spyro Spondyl created the concept for the memorial, which will depict Motley running over derogatory signs in front of a brick wall displaying "1946" — the year Motley and three other Black players integrated professional football.

The bronze statue was crafted in Italy and will be installed by Massillon Plaque on the triangle of land where Stadium Park Drive meets Harrison Avenue NW, which leads under I-77 to the Hall from the park. Akron artist Michael Thompson also has been involved in the project as a graphic designer.

"This has been an incredible journey," Jingo said. "Everybody on the committee is very excited and very proud that they were involved in this."

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Marion Motley statue to be unveiled Aug. 3