Board of Governors Chairperson Harry Smith announced Friday that UNC’s notorious Confederate monument, Silent Sam, will be replaced by a female statue.
According to a press release, the BOG plans to erect a sister statue, to be named Silent Samantha, in the spot on McCorkle Place where Silent Sam once stood. The statue will face Franklin Street, her gaze fixated toward Top of the Hill to admire the view of the mountains.
The decision comes after years of controversy surrounding Silent Sam. Student activists have long been critical of the statue and the administration’s handling of the situation generally, but Smith and the BOG now hope to shift the conversation toward a more positive direction.
The BOG rarely takes a stance on campus matters, but the University’s inaction regarding Silent Sam forced them to step in.
“This is our way of extending an olive branch to student activists, and letting them know that we hear them,” Smith said. “We want it to be known that we respect women.”
Sources within the chairperson’s office says he is elated to have finally arrived at a solution that will end the discourse surrounding Silent Sam once and for all. “He knows sexism is something the University has struggled with since its inception, so this is a win for sure,” a senior official said.
Smith isn’t the only one celebrating – students, too, have rejoiced in the fact that their anti-Silent Sam lobby has finally paid off. As soon as the decision was made, thousands of students rushed Franklin Street to commemorate a hard-fought victory.
“I’m just really glad they finally listened to us,” said Mary White, Franklin Street rusher and self-proclaimed white feminist. “For me, the problem was never really about racism – I just don’t see color, you know? It was more about the fact that there was a statue of a man on campus instead of a woman.”
Not everyone is pleased with the decision, however. Members of UNC’s College Republicans have expressed their dissent, arguing that the imagery associated with a freestanding female statue promotes the idea that women don’t need a man to be happy. In fact, the leadership of UNC College Republicans has suggested that a statue of a lumberjack be placed alongside Silent Samantha to preserve traditional gender norms.
