BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The man behind almost saving President William McKinley's life in 1901, will forever be immortalized.
James Parker, also known as "Big Jim Parker" was brought back to life in 2D form with a painting created by Reverend William Cobb Jr.
The unveiling happened at McKinley High School, Monday afternoon showcasing Parker, an African American Exposition employee and his heroic efforts, on the day of President McKinley's assassination.
Buffalo North District council member, Joseph Golombek told Pheben Kassahun, "He was standing behind the would-be assassin. All of a sudden, the assassin shot the president once, twice and at the second one, Big Jim had tackled and slugged him."
"For a long time, he was ignored. Nobody knew he was involved in this. This is Black History Month. They found out about him and they came out to honor him and I'm honored to be here and honored to have been the artist to have done the work," Rev. William Cobb Jr. explained. "He was standing behind the would-be assassin. All of a sudden, the assassin shot the president once, twice and at the second one, Big Jim had tackled and slugged him."
The project was supposed to be unveiled in March 2020, but the pandemic put a halt on it.
Reverend Cobb painted this free of charge.
It is now up to the board of education to decide where to hang up the masterpiece.
