TO THE EDITOR:
Brian Meares’ notion that Silent Sam promotes a space for “free and open discussion” is a baffling interpretation of this University’s hazardous idealism on “safe spaces.”
Such spaces do not and cannot exist for black and brown students as long as a prominent, overt symbol of white supremacy beams down on them daily.
To remove Silent Sam is not an effort to rewrite history. Removing Silent Sam will never undo centuries of deathly oppression onto black and brown bodies.
Removing this iconography should be the purposeful duty of Carolina to say finally, without any hesitation, that students, staff, and faculty who look like me are welcomed at this place.
As long as Silent Sam points his musket northward, the ideals, aims and goals of the Confederacy will forever shroud this University in a negative light.
It will forever leave lingering the nasty taste of oppression on the tongues of black and brown students. Silent Sam will forever silence our voices in a haze of never-ending confusion.
If this is Carolina’s mission, then job well done!
