Between us we have been passionate about the Carolina values of equality and anti-racism for over 70 years. We have fought for those core values throughout our careers. But we believe the Confederate monument known as Silent Sam should be returned to the campus of UNC-CH in accordance with the N.C. Cultural History Artifact Management and Patriotism Act of 2015.
Those two tons of copper and bronze should be buried on campus deep underground.
Bury Jim Crow and the evil it stood for and send a powerful message above ground.
Bury what ails the South: the racism that continues to infect and divide our communities and day-to-day lives.
Bury once and for all time any legitimization of white supremacy.
Bury it deep. Not just 6 feet under as we do to respect the dead, but 105 feet beneath the soil — one foot for each year that the statue stood. And more than a hundred for the century that students, staff and faculty of color served the University with honor while the statue loomed over them in contempt.
On the surface there would be a full, honest and rich accounting of our history and why we must never be complacent about or complicit in the face of racism. Above the burial site could be the most beautiful remembrance of amazing people of color who have shaped our beloved Carolina. Alongside all the students, faculty, administrators and alumni who were active in the struggle to end the racism that Silent Sam celebrated. Perhaps, Maya Lin, the Vietnam War Memorial artist, might be asked to design a space that captures the true heart of our state and its people. Make it a place where children can learn to celebrate the good and bury the bad without forgetting our history.
We understand that all this is symbolism. But symbols have power far beyond their earthly weight. In their handling of Silent Sam, the administrators of UNC, its chancellor, its Board of Trustees, its Board of Governors, have betrayed the core principle of our stated mission. “With lux, libertas — light and liberty — as its founding principles, the University has charted a bold course of leading change to improve society and to help solve the world’s greatest problems.”
More importantly, they have failed in their duty to keep safe all the people under our charge. Who are not just the white, the male, the rich, the straight, the abled, but a richly diverse reflection of North Carolina today. Sadly, they have created an environment that attracts to campus white supremacists who have threatened and assaulted the University community.
