“I’ve been seeing this life-sized version of my grandfather in my dreams for years. I was able to come down and we’ve been working closely with Carl to help with the concept, the idea and the vision that he has,” he said.
Sculptor Carl LeVotch is creating the statue.
“There’s that moment where, ‘Wow. Look what I did’ of accomplishment. That’s what I’m going to try to capture,” LeVotch said.
Walcott, born Arnold Cream, held the heavyweight title in 1951 and 1952. He was an actor, he was Camden County’s first Black sheriff and chaired the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. He died in 1994.
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The county freeholders and the Historical Society commissioned the Walcott statue to be erected in Camden’s Wiggins Park a year from now.
The location is significant to Vincent Cream.
“The slaves that came in on the ships in Camden and docked in Camden are still looking over our shoulder. And they’re going to be looking at Camden raising a statue of a Black man on the waterfront. And he's a champion,” he said.