Over the course of the past few weeks, the discourse concerning the roles that racism, white supremacy and confederate monuments play in American society has reached a fever pitch. Public clashes between white supremacist hate groups and American citizens who are still fighting for a place of equality within our country have set a violent stage for a fight that should never have had to be fought in the first place.
The people of our state work to ensure acceptance for all who wish to make a home, and a life, here in North Carolina. By erecting monuments celebrating treason and memorializing confederate soldiers who fought to maintain the institution of slavery, this state and its lawmakers are sending a clear message to minority communities that they care more about the beliefs of the confederacy and white supremacy than they do about their constituents.
We believe that any and all confederate monuments and memorials in the City of Raleigh, as well as across the state of North Carolina and the rest of the country, should be removed as soon as possible.
According to NC State history professor Susanna Lee, many of the confederate monuments that have been put up in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were erected in the name of “reasserting white supremacy.” It is important to note that many of the statues were erected several decades after the Civil War ended, outside government buildings and property. These memorials asserted that white supremacist ideals were — are — not only still alive and well, but that white supremacy was a fundamental part of governmental values.
These monuments, memorializing and celebrating a treasonous part of America’s history that should forever be condemned, should never have been erected in the first place. They are blatant symbols of racism and reminders that white supremacy and extreme racial prejudice not only still exist in our country, but also play a greater role in the institutionalized oppression of minority communities today.
The removal of these memorials should not be executed in an attempt to erase history, but rather in an effort to condemn what those statues stand for: racism, treason and white supremacy. It is time that our state’s legislature, as well as Governor Roy Cooper, take the necessary steps to remove any and all confederate, white supremacist monuments in Raleigh and across North Carolina immediately.
We stand in solidarity with our peers at UNC-Chapel Hill as they demand the justified removal of the “Silent Sam” statue on their campus. There should be no debate, no hesitation in removing Silent Sam, as well as similar confederate statues and memorials in Raleigh and across the nation. White supremacy and treason should never be memorialized — they should be condemned immediately by anyone and everyone who considers themselves to be an American.
The unsigned editorial is the opinion of the majority of Technician’s editorial board, and is the responsibility of the editor-in-chief.
