Dispelling False Beliefs With The Truth
“The Civil War wasn’t about slavery, right?”
The Southern states seceded from the Union to preserve their economic system, which heavily relied on the labor of enslaved African people.
“Why change schools, roads, bridges?”
Removing names associated with Confederates and those responsible for the deaths of Indigenous people doesn’t alter history, but it does eliminate these names from places where everyone should feel welcome.
“Why do you have to remove, can’t you recontextualize?”
Recontextualization is a dishonest attempt to cover up a racist past. These monuments perpetuate false history and are in positions of prominence that are undeserved. It is not appropriate to memorialize the thousands of people raped, beaten, and murdered in the shadow of their oppressors.
“Why are you trying to erase our history?”
The history many of us have learned is a distorted narrative that romanticizes slavery and emphasizes white supremacy.
“Most of us alive were not part of this, why should we care?”
While we can’t be blamed for historical injustices, we are all responsible for countering and dismantling the ongoing legacy of slavery, segregation, and inequity.
“Heritage is not hate, right?”
Southern heritage encompasses a blend of African, European, and other ethnic traditions. We can embrace our regional culture without celebrating racism and hate.
