The Emancipation Memorial, also known as the Freedman's Memorial or the Emancipation Group, is a statue located in Washington, D.C. It was unveiled in 1876 and commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation, which was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and freed enslaved African Americans in Confederate states during the Civil War.

The statue depicts Abraham Lincoln standing with his right hand raised above a kneeling African American man with broken chains on his wrists. The man is often interpreted as the figure of a newly freed slave. The statue was controversial even at the time of its unveiling, with some African Americans criticizing its portrayal of the freedman as subservient to Lincoln.

The Emancipation Memorial has continued to be a subject of debate and protest in more recent years, with calls for its removal or reinterpretation due to its perceived problematic depiction of race and power dynamics. Critics argue that the statue reinforces racist stereotypes and fails to accurately reflect the complexities of emancipation and the contributions of African Americans to their own liberation.

The ongoing discussions surrounding the Emancipation Memorial highlight the importance of considering how historical monuments and statues represent and perpetuate narratives about race, freedom, and equality in American history.