STATE TO REMOVE CONTROVERSIAL PLAQUE

  

State officials have voted to remove a 60-year-old Confederate plaque in the state Capitol.

The plaque rejects slavery as an underlying cause of the Civil War.

The decision by the State Preservation Board follows years of resistance from Republicans to remove any of the roughly dozen Confederate markers in and around the Texas Capitol.

Pressure mounted on Gov. Greg Abbott after a black lawmaker from Dallas began publicly condemning the plaque as historically indefensible.  The Children of the Confederacy donated the plaque, which went up in 1959.

State Rep. Eric Johnson pushed for its removal after the 2017 deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which led to the removal of a string of Confederate markers nationwide.

The preservation board, which Abbott chairs, unanimously voted to remove it.

What’s your Reaction?
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0

23 Comments

  1. This is a prime example of how history sometimes takes a toll on our future. It’s heartbreaking to see our own little city at ease with each other, let alone the people in our state. I am an AFRICAN AMERICAN woman who was born in Brenham, TX and I love my white friends, my black friends and my brown friends. I love EVERYONE…. as should we! Our history is a sad one but it’s up to us to rewrite it so that our kids can know better so that they can do better. When hate is removed, love can enter in….. Let’s love each other and quit letting everyone and every little issue divide us. #ALLLIVESMATTER…. SMH……

  2. LOL…. WELL IF THERE WAS A WHITE ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION….. IT WOULD BE CALLED… WET…

  3. The south was just as important as the north and I’m from the north I say leave the dang historical markers alone there part of our history and if your going to remove historical markers then remove Yankee historical markers also hel# why not wipe out our history all together that makes about as much sence

    1. I agree I am so tried of all this craziness.I think if we are going to take down some then to be fair take every one down.All each and every one. No statues no plaque nothing. Young men died in this war.The war was not about slavery.It is so sad that our state the state of texas is going along with this stupidity it really is. I have lost a lot of respect for our great state.Of all the states I would have believed that Texas would have stood strong.Well now take down Martin Luther Kings statue to.

  4. Make no mistake it was about slavery and it was in direct conflict with our countries Bill of Rights. It was about land owners using slave labor on their cotton farms to attain wealth at any cost. It was morally wrong in every sense. We need to keep history accurate so that we may hopefully learn from past mistakes. This plaque was inaccurate and attempted to white wash the moral corruption of slavery.

  5. the election of abe lincolon to president is the major cause of the civil war the north was industries and manufacturing the south farming and ranching both the north and the south used slaves. eleven states suceeded from the union and created the confederate union after many different laws were created that benefited the north and hindered the south.there was no other party only democrats only after the war was the republican party created to keep check on the democrats and also the other way around that’s the only thing but important thing that the south got out of the war slavery was not the cause but it was one of the issues.SO READ YOUR HISTORY BOOKS IT IS ALL IN THERE

    1. So many people ignore history and the fact that the Democrats ruled the south and it’s practice of slavery. They forget that Republicans were the biggest supporters of freedom for all people, the Voting Rights Act, The Civil Rights Act, and so many other major pieces of legislation that were designed to give freedom and equality to all.

  6. I’m very afraid that this decision is only the beginning and more historical monuments will be next target.

  7. Really, this is history. Why would people want to remove history. This is what our kids learn from and know how and when things were done. People need to wake up and know that this is history not that we look done on snyone. We sre all created equal in our Lord’s eyes. When we reach those gates of heaven he is not going to care what color you are and what you did BUT how you lived your life!!

  8. The plaque is History. I am appalled that a plaque that has been respected by the majority of the Historians 60 years ago is now disrespected. The removal of this Historical Plaque disrespects what the plaque stands for and disrespects the people that originally erected the Historical Plaque. I’m a Ticked Off True Texan. I am Ashamed of every elected official that has allowed this. Louis Kolkorst and Ben Lemon what can you say about yourselves by not supporting your State’s History??

    1. Neither Leman nor Kolkhorst are currently on the state preservation board, which made the decision, so they did not have a say in the matter.

      1. So our elected officials don’t have a say-so about us to Washington County, the Birthplace of Texas. Wow, things have changed where Texas became Texas.

  9. Remove history that offends you and after it is forgotten it will raise it’s head again for none have been remembered .

    1. Factually incorrect history, like on this plague, should offend you and should be removed.

      This is from the Texas Declaration of Secession: “She was received as a commonwealth holding, maintaining and protecting the institution known as negro slavery–the servitude of the African to the white race within her limits–a relation that had existed from the first settlement of her wilderness by the white race, and which her people intended should exist in all future time.”

      The plague directly contradicts primary documents such as these. Its not real history. Monuments like this were put up by racists who were resisting the Civil Rights movements. They weren’t commemorating history as much as trying to redefine it.

    2. Speaking for myself, descendant of a Confederate officer, the plaque is offensive because it is factually incorrect. Don’t believe me? The Texas letter of secession is readily available online, and there is no mistaking the writers’ explicit justification for secession — they wanted to continue legal slavery.

      1. I agree that the civil war was about slavery, Period. Some want to say it was over “States Rights” but the South wanted the states to have the right to decide on slavery. I have no problem with the removal of incorrect information. We need to keep our history, but it should be correct.

    3. I believe the offense is not the Civil War nor slavery. The offense was made in 1959 when the Texas Children of the Confederacy said that slavery was not an underlying cause of the Civil War. It is not removing history – it is removing the removing of history.

    4. Fine & Good, As anything mentioning the Confederacy is so offensive to blacks, I feel sure we have heard the last about the horrors of slavery, Jim Crow, etc. What happened, happened. Slavery was a horrible instruction, even for any slave who was well treated, but it is our history. While I do not think we need to honor those that did everything to keep the intuition of slavery alive, it amazes me how much the evils of slavery is thrown in our faces, even though we never owned a slave and many of us had no slave owning ancestors. Certain black folks never want to as much as be reminded of the Confederacy but then they want to use it when THEY see fit.

      1. Offensive? What is offensive to me is black history month, BET, etc. If a white history month was conceived, or a white entertainment channel, these would be seen as racist and not allowed.

Back to top button