Move the Fame statue in Salisbury
Move the Fame statue in Salisbury
The Issue
We are calling for the removal of the Fame Confederate soldier Memorial Statue that is in the middle of Downtown Salisbury. The statue promotes division and unrest in our community, instead of promoting respect, unity, and inclusiveness among residents and visitors to our great city of Salisbury, our State of North Carolina, and the United States of America. We believe that “the monuments glorify white supremacy and memorialize a treasonous government whose founding principle was the perpetuation and expansion of slavery.” It should be moved to a less central location, such as a museum, or the site of Salisbury Prison and should be rededicated to honor all Veteran of Rowan County.
Recent protests against police brutality have yet again reignited the nationwide discussion surrounding the existence of confederate memorial statues. Fame was dedicated in 1909 and has since become synonymous with the City of Salisbury. The option to remove or rededicate this statue has been discussed many times, for reasons related to the safety of its location and to the incendiary nature of its content.
Three years ago, Mark Wineka, writing for the Salisbury Post, stated “ I don’t want to see the statue used as an excuse for hatred and violence. I don’t want it to be a symbol of divisiveness. I don’t want to see it vandalized and destroyed,” but that is exactly what has happened. On May 31st, during a peaceful protest in response to the murder of George Floyd, a white man discharged a weapon in front of the statue in order to intimidate protestors. That same night, a racist comment, sparked by the defense of the statue, resulted in an individual being dismissed from the Ellis Cross Country Fire Department. And two years ago, the statue was vandalized with what appeared to be white paint, though this is not the only time that the statue has been vandalized. In moving and rededicating the statue Salisbury could take a stance against racism and white supremacy while also protecting the statue from being vandalized. Even if the original intent of erecting the statue cannot be agreed upon, it is clear that this statue inspires hatred in some and sadness in others. The relationship between the statue, white supremacy, and violence has already formed. In light of these events, it is clear that now, perhaps more than ever before, Fame must be moved and rededicated in order to avoid further escalation.
Fame is not the only statue of its kind. While many cities across America possess Confederate memorials in some form, the Salisbury monument is special. It is a twin. The counterpart to the statue that rests in the center of Innes St used to reside on Mount Royal Ave in Baltimore, Maryland. After a year of indecision, the Baltimore City Council quickly removed not only the twin statue, but also three others around the city following the events of Charlottesville, VA in 2017. Though Salisbury city leaders also considered moving the statue at this time, a decision has yet to be made, three years later.
One common concern is the legality of removing this statue, due to a North Carolina law that prohibits the removal of “objects of remembrance” from public property. However, multiple cities have defied this law and removed similar monuments in recent years without consequence. Additionally, this law was specifically created in reaction to the Charleston church shooting in 2015. The protection of this monument is not a longstanding tradition, but rather a panic response.
The statue was erected to memorialize soldiers who died while fighting for the confederacy. Though few confederate soldiers owned slaves, they were still fighting for the right to own them, and therefore glorifying their sacrifice also glorifies the defence of slavery. Many argue that this war was over states rights, but it is clear the primary right the confederacy defended was the right to own slaves. This statue was erected in the early 1900’s before the civil rights movement. It is an outdated symbol that has persisted from a time where written law remained explicitly racist. We cannot pretend its original intention was free of any racism.
Some argue that moving this monument erases a piece of history that must be remembered; however, glorifying the confederacy erases black voices. In lifting up the confederacy, we ignore the pain and suffering endured by black Americans both in antebellum and Jim Crow America and in the modern era. If what we want is an honest retelling of our history, we must recognize the immense wrong that was committed by the confederacy when its people chose to treat black americans as less than human. In raising up confederate soldiers, we perpetuate the narrative that slavery was just.
To close, we want to include a quote written by aforementioned Salisbury Post writer, Mark Wineka “I recognize how emotional and controversial the Confederate statue’s departure from the median at West Innes and Church streets would be. I personally have argued in the past that the 108-year-old grouping should stay where it is out of its historical, memorial and educational value and what it represents as a magnificent example of public art. But these have to be feeble arguments to any African-American who walks or drives by that monument daily and sees it as glorifying and celebrating a Confederacy of States dedicated to keeping their ancestors in bondage.--” Mark Wineka
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Removal_of_Confederate_monuments_and_memorials
https://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/67/
https://www.salisburypost.com/2017/08/17/what-does-future-hold-for-salisburys-confederate-monument/
https://www.salisburypost.com/2020/06/03/new-charges-sought-for-man-who-fired-gun-at-protest/
The Issue
We are calling for the removal of the Fame Confederate soldier Memorial Statue that is in the middle of Downtown Salisbury. The statue promotes division and unrest in our community, instead of promoting respect, unity, and inclusiveness among residents and visitors to our great city of Salisbury, our State of North Carolina, and the United States of America. We believe that “the monuments glorify white supremacy and memorialize a treasonous government whose founding principle was the perpetuation and expansion of slavery.” It should be moved to a less central location, such as a museum, or the site of Salisbury Prison and should be rededicated to honor all Veteran of Rowan County.
Recent protests against police brutality have yet again reignited the nationwide discussion surrounding the existence of confederate memorial statues. Fame was dedicated in 1909 and has since become synonymous with the City of Salisbury. The option to remove or rededicate this statue has been discussed many times, for reasons related to the safety of its location and to the incendiary nature of its content.
Three years ago, Mark Wineka, writing for the Salisbury Post, stated “ I don’t want to see the statue used as an excuse for hatred and violence. I don’t want it to be a symbol of divisiveness. I don’t want to see it vandalized and destroyed,” but that is exactly what has happened. On May 31st, during a peaceful protest in response to the murder of George Floyd, a white man discharged a weapon in front of the statue in order to intimidate protestors. That same night, a racist comment, sparked by the defense of the statue, resulted in an individual being dismissed from the Ellis Cross Country Fire Department. And two years ago, the statue was vandalized with what appeared to be white paint, though this is not the only time that the statue has been vandalized. In moving and rededicating the statue Salisbury could take a stance against racism and white supremacy while also protecting the statue from being vandalized. Even if the original intent of erecting the statue cannot be agreed upon, it is clear that this statue inspires hatred in some and sadness in others. The relationship between the statue, white supremacy, and violence has already formed. In light of these events, it is clear that now, perhaps more than ever before, Fame must be moved and rededicated in order to avoid further escalation.
Fame is not the only statue of its kind. While many cities across America possess Confederate memorials in some form, the Salisbury monument is special. It is a twin. The counterpart to the statue that rests in the center of Innes St used to reside on Mount Royal Ave in Baltimore, Maryland. After a year of indecision, the Baltimore City Council quickly removed not only the twin statue, but also three others around the city following the events of Charlottesville, VA in 2017. Though Salisbury city leaders also considered moving the statue at this time, a decision has yet to be made, three years later.
One common concern is the legality of removing this statue, due to a North Carolina law that prohibits the removal of “objects of remembrance” from public property. However, multiple cities have defied this law and removed similar monuments in recent years without consequence. Additionally, this law was specifically created in reaction to the Charleston church shooting in 2015. The protection of this monument is not a longstanding tradition, but rather a panic response.
The statue was erected to memorialize soldiers who died while fighting for the confederacy. Though few confederate soldiers owned slaves, they were still fighting for the right to own them, and therefore glorifying their sacrifice also glorifies the defence of slavery. Many argue that this war was over states rights, but it is clear the primary right the confederacy defended was the right to own slaves. This statue was erected in the early 1900’s before the civil rights movement. It is an outdated symbol that has persisted from a time where written law remained explicitly racist. We cannot pretend its original intention was free of any racism.
Some argue that moving this monument erases a piece of history that must be remembered; however, glorifying the confederacy erases black voices. In lifting up the confederacy, we ignore the pain and suffering endured by black Americans both in antebellum and Jim Crow America and in the modern era. If what we want is an honest retelling of our history, we must recognize the immense wrong that was committed by the confederacy when its people chose to treat black americans as less than human. In raising up confederate soldiers, we perpetuate the narrative that slavery was just.
To close, we want to include a quote written by aforementioned Salisbury Post writer, Mark Wineka “I recognize how emotional and controversial the Confederate statue’s departure from the median at West Innes and Church streets would be. I personally have argued in the past that the 108-year-old grouping should stay where it is out of its historical, memorial and educational value and what it represents as a magnificent example of public art. But these have to be feeble arguments to any African-American who walks or drives by that monument daily and sees it as glorifying and celebrating a Confederacy of States dedicated to keeping their ancestors in bondage.--” Mark Wineka
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Removal_of_Confederate_monuments_and_memorials
https://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/67/
https://www.salisburypost.com/2017/08/17/what-does-future-hold-for-salisburys-confederate-monument/
https://www.salisburypost.com/2020/06/03/new-charges-sought-for-man-who-fired-gun-at-protest/
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Petition created on June 4, 2020