A copy of the Statue of Liberty was damaged in Valencia, so it was removed from the citys streets. Similar oppressive and revisionist messages are promoted by historical statues of presidents such as slave-owning presidents or emperors such as Christopher Columbus. In several cities, these tributes have been vandalized or torn down by protestors or removed by public officials. Scottie Andrew and Anna Sturla, A Statue of Frederick Douglass Was Toppled over the Fourth of July Weekend, the Anniversary of His Famous Speech, cnn.com, July 6, 2020, 10. ONLY FOR REPUBLICANS. What you got in the interim before that happened was a kind of a battle over community values. Thus, we honor Columbus by monuments, place names, and a federal holiday. Colleen Walsh, Must We Allow Symbols of Racism on Public Land?, harvard.edu, June 19, 2020, 44. Q: What can you tell us about Americas history with monuments and memorials? It does not disqualify him that he selected a husband for his daughter rather than allowing her to select one for herself. The intention was to intimidate Black while reinforcing white power structures in America. ASU Associate Professor of English Kathleen Lamp, a historian who specializes in the rhetoric of public art, including memorials and monuments, said such controversy is as old as time. Workers in Richmond, Va., removed a statue of. Many of them were erected decades after the fall of the Confederacy as a way to remind Black Americans of their place in society. MANISHA SINHA: It always astonished me as a Civil War historian to see statues commemorating Confederate generals and politicians who had literally committed treason against this country in order to uphold human bondage. First, removing all these statues and monuments cost a lot of money and take a long time. I got more interested in the U.S. history of monuments when I started to look around and wonder where all the neoclassical buildings came from. The rally protested the proposed removal of statues of Confederate Army Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. 17, 2020, 42. The Avalon Project, A Declaration of the Immediate Causes which Induce and Justify the Secession of the State of Mississippi from the Federal Union., avalon.law.yale.edu (accessed July 8, 2020), 17. Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 30, 2020, 35. Must we allow symbols of racism on public land? It is also important to remember there is a difference between removing the statues and destroying them. However, preservationism remains the dominant outlook of the sector. Ive said it before: There is an important difference between helping to create the United States and trying to destroy it. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. The movement against him is part of a wider drive to get rid of monuments to figures who are now. On July 13, 2022, Florida erected a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune to replace their confederate soldier statue. Brian Palmer and Seth Freed Wessler, The Costs of the Confederacy, smithsonianmag.com, Dec 2018, 5. The monuments go up because, without Washington, there likely would not have been an American nation. No one puts a monument up to Washington or Jefferson to promote slavery. The SPLC reported at least 160 monuments were removed in 2020 after George Floyds death, more than the prior four years combined At last count, about 704 Confederate monuments remained on public land. Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): [Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Adam Serwer, The Myth of the Kindly General Lee, theatlantic.com, June 4, 2017, 19. Slavery is represented in statues by people who distort history and commemorate individuals who perpetuated it. In the United States, Confederate monuments are erected as public displays to commemorate the Confederate States of America, its soldiers and leaders. Perhaps that is precisely why the standard is flouted by those who want to politicize everything. ProCon.org. We disregard or discount those faults common to the individuals time and place. So what do you think of moving into a broader swath of statues coming down and - or being targeted? It is unfortunate that they are considered public art works rather than memorializing them. Here's Why., nbcnews.com, June 1, 2017, 51. Many of the men with whom George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Ulysses S. Grant were associated at the time were slaves. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to keep political statues in public spaces is a complex one. Southern Poverty Law Center, Whose Heritage? Regardless of whether historic statues are removed or remain, what sort of statues, memorials, or other art would you like to see in public spaces? Activists are campaigning for a statue of Cecil Rhodes to be removed from an Oxford college. His policies were also deadly for thousands of Native Americans. George Gerbner, PhD, and Larry Gross coined the term symbolic annihilation in 1976 to describe the lack of representation of a group of people. But I think a better idea there would have been to actually remove the statues of the African American man and the Native American man and maybe let Teddy Roosevelt be there to commend him for his support of conservation and his support for the Natural History Museum. Jack Jenkins, How the Charleston Shooting Is Linked to the Confederate Flag, According to A South Carolinian, thinkprogress.org, June 19, 2015, 3. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Both Washington and Jefferson were critical to the formation of the country and to the shaping of it in its early years. Statues could be built to honor George Washington Carver, Madame CJ Walker, Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Owens, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ruby Bridges, Mae Jemison, Charles Richard Drew, Mary Jackson, and countless others. Are you. Even more importantly, however, erasing monuments of once-revered figures upsets an unspoken but long-prevailing consensus governing our decisions of whom to commemorate. Despite its relatively small price tag, it is still worth considering, especially when compared to the total cost of the Civil War and its aftermath. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Manisha Sinha, a Civil War historian at the University of Connecticut, says when it comes to, say, Robert E. Lee, take it down. Those are the real threats to history. According to media reports, at least 11 statues were severely damaged or destroyed during the true civil rebellion in 2017. Should Confederate Monuments Be Removed. The idea is, this is a statue of a civil leader, and they are someone whose virtue or deeds were meant to emulate as citizens. GREENE: Professor, thank you so much for your time. Mount Vernon, Slavery, mountvernon.org (accessed July 7, 2020), 40. Some people argue that these statues are a reminder of the countrys history and should be left in place, while others believe that they are a symbol of oppression and should be removed. The shooter was said to have glorified the Confederate South, posing in Facebook photos with the Battle Flag of the Northern Virginia Army (also known now as the Confederate flag, though it never represented the Confederate States) and touring historical Confederate locations before the shooting. Nellie Peyton, As the Men of Stone Fall, Who Should Rise up and Take Their Place?, news.trust.org, July 2, 2020, 33. A 2018 investigation published in the Smithsonian Magazine found that over the prior ten years at least $40 million in taxpayer dollars were allocated for Confederate statues, other monuments, and heritage organizations. The campaigns demise was both sad and pathetic. Note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity. In the modern-day case of the removal of U.S. monuments that many argue commend white supremacy and colonialism, the shift in power could be seen as from those who deny the racist overtones of such structures or who maintain that some monuments have historical or aesthetic value worth preserving to those who embrace a national culture of inclusion. What do you think of that idea? His disreputable actions reflected attitudes and practices common to his society. The toppling of Edward Colston's statue in Bristol has led to a heated debate about memorialisation and what those statues say about their respective societies. And I think most Civil War historians have been against Confederate statues - if not removal, at least with contextualization. Its a pleasure to be a part of the politics of Los diferentes estrellas de la Avenida. Who Jefferson Davis was. Confederate monuments are more likely to be removed in cities with large African-American and Democratic populations, as well as chapters of the NAACP, and where state legislatures have the authority to approve their removal. On the other hand, others argue that they are offensive and should be removed. Eventually, police descended on the. More than half of Americans support removal of Confederate statues, but 44% still think they should remain. Make sure to visit the Southern Poverty Law Centers Whose Heritage: Public Symbols of the Confederacy resource. Since this fundamentally conflicts with American values and ideas, they should be removed. 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[38], During the protests following the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, many Confederate statues were damaged or toppled, as were statues of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Ulysses S. Grant. GORDON-REED: This moment feels different because theres been a great awakening in the country about police-on-citizen violence. Ultimately, as far as who gets to decide, I think activism is what gets it done. The Mdia Exterior de Chvez highlights how the country responds to its problems: through its actions, the country seeks to advance human rights, including the rights of foreigners, as a result of the decreto de 1817. This article was published on January 20, 2022, at Britannicas ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source. I certainly understand the emotion the passion particularly if government officials have turned a blind eye to previous petitions from the community. Tomorrow, a white nationalist majority mightuproot monuments to Martin Luther King citinghis adulteries and other indiscretions. Removing statues is a slippery slope that could lead to the brash removal of monuments to any slightly problematic person. On October 12, 2006, a bust of Almirante was smashed in Mrida, Mexico, in the aftermath of the Columbus statues being torn down. 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According to the poll, in August 2017, 39% supported the removal of Confederate statues compared to 52% who wanted to get rid of them in June. They can be seen as a form of art. Ashlie D. Stevens, As Confederate Monuments Come down, What Should Replace Them?, salon.com, June 17, 2020, 27. They harbored cultural bias. On July 13, 2022, a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune was dedicated in Florida in place of the Confederate soldier statue. Pros. But the traditional standard does help minimize political manipulation of history. Admittedly, the traditional consensus is not an infallible guide to deciding whom to commemorate. New York Times, From 2017: Confederate Monuments Are Coming down dcross the United States. Accessed April 27, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/historic-statue-removal-top-3-pros-cons/, Whose Heritage: Public Symbols of the Confederacy, 1. The result is that, as a result, the Primera Guerra is no longer averse to it. List two to three ways. The reason for that was a movement called City Beautiful. The removal of Confederate monuments is usually around $1.8 million in total, but this varies by location. Thats not fair, asking me as a law professor. Parental selection of spouses is anathema today, but in Ciceros society, everybody did it.. Common faults are, by definition, common. And then he went on, in fact, to defeat the Confederacy, which was extremely important in the destruction of slavery. So to me, if statues are performing this work of showing us what we most value as a society, once our values change, no, we shouldnt keep them. It is no surprise that he is not fondly remembered by his descendants, who consider themselves natives. Monuments of people statuary I think come out of a tradition of imitation. but They Should Remain., washingtonpost.com, Aug. 18, 2017, 39. The Confederate Monument to Robert E. Lee Is Removed from Its Perch, Creative Commons, May 19, 2017, While the debate whether Confederate statues should be taken down has been gaining momentum for years, the issue gained widespread attention after the June 17, 2015, mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. GREENE: But is there an argument that removing these statues could help further the fight for racial equality in our country? There was the thought that these immigrants needed to be turned into productive workers, and that concern is where a lot of our public spaces come from. In fact, even Robert E. Lee opposed Confederate statues . These statues not only glorify anti-abolitionists but they remind people of the strong racism of the time. Valerie Strauss, Christopher Columbus: 3 Things You Think He Did That He Didnt, washingtonpost.com, Oct. 14, 2013, 22. An 1884 Confederate monument to General Robert E. Lee is removed from Lee Circle in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 19, 2017. Protesters for. Despite Nicole Douglas' team-leading 14th goal of the season, the Sun Devil soccer team was unable to claim its first Pac-12 victory of the season after falling to the Oregon State Beavers, 2-1 on Thursday night. The greatest tragedy in the history of the United States was the loss of over a thousand lives as a result of the countrys wars. The statues do not cause racism and could be used to fight racism if put into historical context. New Orleans a city of many nations America's largest slave market Statues play a critical role in society. Where do we draw a line? She was supposed to be the civil rights movements most visible figure until she became pregnant. 2. emma.greguska@asu.edu. The Lee statue had been designated a historic monument, so people thought that would protect it from removal, but the governor of Virginia said, no, were taking it down. There are valid arguments on both sides, and there is no easy answer. A statue of Josphine de Beauharnais, who married Napoleon and became his first wife, was ripped down in Martinique. By removing them, we can censor, whitewash, and potentially forget about the history. GAZETTE:As a law professor, what is your view on people unilaterally deciding to pull down statues they find offensive after officials often enjoined by laws or judicial rulings barring such action decline to do so? They can be seen as a form of propaganda. This equates to 1.57 jobs, $76,000 in wages and $14,101 in tax revenues for every 1,000 tons of material recycled. These battles have a strong historical context, as they were influenced by a very Venezuelan tradition: Bolivarian political historicism. The video of the officer with his knee on George Floyds neck was so extreme. And there was a real concern about assimilating these immigrants into you can call it Americanization, but what it really was was an assimilation into white, Protestant culture. Venezuela has been transformed into a nation of tumba-estatuas (or busts), which are statues that serve as a political pedagogy for understanding the history of the past that can be adapted by modernism. A global anti-gender movement is coming for our democracy. Defunding the humanities, cutting history classes and departments. SINHA: I think then it becomes a purely destructive exercise, a way you are simply destroying all monuments and all statues. Monticello, Jefferson's Attitudes toward Slavery, monticello.org (accessed July 7, 2020), 41. In particular, a lot of our civic buildings our courthouses, our state capitals, even our public squares and parks are in the neoclassical style. The police killing of George Floyd sparked widespread protests and reignited efforts across the U.S. to remove Confederate and other statues viewed as symbols of slavery and racism. The architect Daniel Burnham was a leader in the movement; he went on to do the McMillan Plan for the National Mall in D.C. Public Symbols of the Confederacy, splcenter.org, Feb. 1, 2019, 15. The history of the United States is multi-layered, complicated, and ever-evolving. Disputation in the political sphere is difficult to come by. Was there no other way to handle that situation? A: What we choose to memorialize speaks to our values as a society, and often, certain populations are excluded entirely from that. The bus will arrive in Che Guevaras honor. Residents offered replacement suggestions ranging from boxer Muhammed Ali to writer Wendell Berry. Iconoclasm is not new; its been going on for thousands of years in different circumstances, Lamp said. [41]. On the one hand, some argue that they are historical landmarks and should be preserved. Cicero was a great orator, an outstanding lawyer, a spokesman for balanced government, and the single person most responsible for transmitting the Greek philosophical tradition to Western Europe. CBS News, Protesters in England Topple Statue of Slave Trader Edward Colston into Harbor, cbsnews.com, June 7, 2020, 8. For many years people have been arguing whether certain controversial monuments, such as statues, should be destroyed or removed. We should be able to discuss these historical figures and discuss what we admire about them and what we don't admire so much. 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Also removed from the monument's base was a 133-year-old copper time capsule containing artifacts and ephemera related to the Confederacy. Should Statues Be Removed Pros And Cons - Stay informed with breaking news, in-depth analysis and community coverage. Since Black Lives Matter protests began in response to Columbuss legacy, a number of statues of him have been removed. Research reveals the long-term impact following the destruction of the Greenwood District, Harvard experts talk about how to turn the moments energy into lasting change, Harvard faculty recommend the writers and subjects that promote context and understanding, Ash Center panel puts defining moment of Floyd killing into context of fight for social justice, Biomolecular archaeology reveals a fuller picture of the nomadic Xiongnu. Many celebrities have asked that their names be added to the list over the years, including David Beckham, Bill Morris, Mary Seacole, Benny Hill, and Paul Gascoigne. But so did tens of thousands of others similarly situated. The statues were built to honor and enforce white supremacist views, and the intent or damaging effect have not been erased by time. 3. GAZETTE: In recent years, many have called for the removal of monuments honoring Confederate officials and other controversial figures, such as Christopher Columbus, with mixed results. Both Washington and Jefferson were critical to the formation of the country and to the shaping of it in its early years No one puts a monument up to Washington or Jefferson to promote slavery I think on these two, Washington and Jefferson, in particular, you take the bitter with sweet. History will still be taught. Statues elevate a person from a historical event rather than demystify it. GORDON-REED: I suppose, if people want to, everything can pave the way to some other point. Beyond building monuments to honor black Americans, monuments could employ and elevate living black artists, such as Kehinde Wiley, whose 2019 Rumors of War statue depicts a black man on horseback in a pose reminiscent of statues of Robert E. Lee. The statues do not cause racism and could be used to fight racism if put into historical context. Yet, this is not the first time . Why are Confederate statues being removed? [4], Monuments are ultimately about which values we want to honor and put on public display. It was an event that forced segregationists to come down rather than a single persons actions. Federal judge rules Pennsylvania school district must allow After School Satan Facebook privacy settlement: Who is eligible for a payment? Or they go up because of T.J.s views on separation of church and state and other values that we hold dear. While he hoped the next generation would abolish slavery, he wrote in 1820 that maintaining the institution of slavery was like holding a wolf by the ear, and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. [40], Grant came from an abolitionist family, freed the one slave he owned in 1859, supported black enlisted Army men, led the Union Army in the Civil War to abolish slavery, and was endorsed by Frederick Douglass for president. Several years have passed since the debate over the removal of Confederate statues began. Memorials serve as a permanent reminder of our values, as well as a place to honor and display them in public. [39] [40] [41], However, Washington led the Continental Army to victory over the British, held together the country as the first President over two terms, resisted calls to become King of the country, and, in his will, freed his slaves upon his wifes death. Author of "Drones and Terrorism.". When it was founded, there was a lot of discussion about how it was important to have representations of leaders of civic virtue in the space where our current leaders are, so they have an example to strive for. GREENE: Has your view on all of this changed since George Floyd was killed and we've seen such anger on the streets and such a growing movement at this moment? Heres how we fight back. And that was simply not correct. The Confederate symbols and associated values that Americans hold in high regard are paid for by them. Squares with statues of ostensibly virtuous civil leaders at the center often came out of the City Beautiful movement. What purpose do they serve in society? They must be removed, according to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). A: Theres certainly a school of thought that says so, that maybe they could be taken out of civic spaces and put into a museum where they can be recontextualized. Yes, other celebrated Americans were also deeply wrong about slavery, but they aspired to something greater. There is no easy answer to this question, as there are pros and cons to both sides. There are a number of reasons why Confederate monuments should be kept. Taney's bust was replaced with one of Thurgood Marshall. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. In some cases, moreover, politics induces decision makers to ignore the traditional standards. Lawrence A. Kuznar, I Detest Our Confederate Monuments. Monuments to men who advocated cruelty and barbarism to achieve such a plainly racist end are a grotesque affront to these ideals. Of those who support the idea in the latest poll, 84% . The Removal of All Confederate Statues, Flags, Symbols in America; The topic should be a controversial social issue. If there are statues of black Americans in the future, such as Kehinde Wileys 2019 statue of a black man riding horseback in a pose similar to those of Confederate statues, they could be built. Starting with the Reconstruction, we see them being used as a way to control public spaces and maintain white supremacy alongside other things like lynching, controlling school curriculums, etc. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the other side of the issue now helps you better argue your position. Some were unlawfully torn. Thats a lot of money for one city to pay for, and that money could be used for more important things. But thats incredibly problematic. GREENE: Historian Manisha Sinha is the author of "The Slave's Cause: A History Of Abolition.". They are a reminder of our countrys dark and oppressive history. Charisse L'Pree, Racial and Gender Exclusion from Media Affects Novel Group Identity; An Experimental Investigation of Symbolic Annihilation, sites.google.com/site/charisselpree2 (accessed July 8, 2020), 29. Alex Parsons, Replace All Confederate Statues in Tennessee with Dolly Parton, change.org (accessed July 8, 2020), 31. Defend the existence of confederate statues as ways of honoring the past with the United Daughters of the Confederacy, an organization devoted to the memory of Confederate soldiers. The Avalon Project, Confederate States of America - A Declaration of the Causes which Impel the State of Texas to Secede from the Federal Union, avalon.law.yale.edu (accessed July 8, 2020), 16. Lawrence A. Kuznar, PhD, Professor of Anthropology at Indiana UniversityPurdue University Fort Wayne, stated that removing Confederate statues is a whitewashing of our history that destroys our ability to remember inconvenient truths from our past. Accuracy and availability may vary. I dont. Taneys bust was replaced with one of Thurgood Marshall. In response to a question posed by The Daily Mail, the Queen Mothers statue in Trafalgar Square should be chosen. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard Alexander Stephens, vice president of the Confederacy, was completely clear about its goal: The cornerstone [of the Confederate States of America] rests upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.. The racial subjugation systems he developed as a principal architect are still prevalent in southern Africa. Two hospitals may have violated federal law in denying woman an emergency From bad to worse: Student misbehavior rises further since return of in-person McConnell insists hes sitting out debt talks to disbelief. GAZETTE: What do you say to those who argue that the removal of such statues in prominent public settings dishonors the memory of those who died fighting for the Confederacy? Do you agree? Other statues of historic figures, such as slave-owning presidents or imperialists like Christopher Columbus, promote similar oppressive and revisionist messages. So what should be the standard for taking down a statue? [45] [46] Martin Luther King, Jr. regularly cheated on his wife. Top photo: The base of the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond, Virginia, after his statue was removed from atop it. Stephen E. Ambrose, Founding Fathers and Slaveholders, smithsonianmag.com, Nov. 2002, 43. Jasmine Aguilera, Confederate Statues Are Being Removed amid Protests over George Floyd's Death. Dessi Gomez, Hello, Dolly? This is why they put them up in the first place; to affirm the centrality of white supremacy to Southern culture. [1], Because the statues were intended to promote white supremacy, Richard Rose, President of Atlantas NAACP, argues, You cant contextualize racism or compromise on racism. He states that the contextualization plaques added to Atlantas Confederate statues establish that racism is valid. [24], The statues still appeal to white supremacists, as demonstrated by the 2017 rally to defend the Lee and Jackson statues in Virginia and in Dylan Roofs 2015 pre-massacre tour of plantations and a Confederate museum.

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