Was the Statue of Liberty originally a black woman or for commemorating the end of slavery?

I've read that the statue was to commemorate the relationship between France and the U.S. because of their military efforts during the Revolutionary War. The historian that proposed the idea in the 1860's, Edouard Laboulaye, was an known abolitionist and the model he had made by the artist, Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, had broken chain on the arms of the model. It was changed by American request and now, as we all know, only has broken chains on the feet but the older model is still on display in the Museum of New York City. With the abolition of slavery occurring close to that time, is it possible that the statue was a beacon of hope for race-relations as well as independence?