A COVERAGE OF THE ONGOING FIGHT AGAINST THE ABSURD GLORIFICATION OF HISTORY’S RACIST PATRIARCHAL FIGURES.
By Arya Hanumara/President/Social Effects Head/Co-Editor In Chief
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The idea of privilege is like driving down a long and windy mountain road. Even though your tiny Prius might reach your destination effectively, and safely, there’s always going to be that one vehicle that surpasses every definition of convenience you might be accustomed to. That one luxury sports car might jolt past you, reaching the bottom in just a few seconds. That large 16 wheeler in front of you might travel at an alarmingly slow pace, making you have to slow down as well on the way to your end goal. The end goal, in this case, is your path to success, or having an impact on the world. You might not understand that although all around you, there are factors either slowing you down or ideas that seem so far out of reach and unattainable, you still have a basic level of privilege. In regards to the analogy, you still have a car and the means to travel up a mountain.
It is in our nature as humans to never truly be satisfied with what we have, and to continue to long for so much more. There are not enough people in this world that can be grateful for their lifestyles, or more importantly, their privilege, and still find ways to make themselves the victims in their own lives. With this comes the idea of glorification. When having a basic level of privilege, it is instinctual to glorify oneself, or more specifically, glorify your means of reaching this level. When taking the example above into a slightly more pressing context, there is a complete lack of understanding associated with the ideas of white privilege and racism. It seems as if many members of the white community find it extremely difficult to understand that innocent lives are being lost for the mere factors of external appearance, religion, and ethnic heritage. Innocent teenagers of color find it unsafe to be walking around their neighborhoods at night, with a deep fear of a “scared” neighbor calling the police for spotting “suspicious activities.” A simple phone call might not seem to do any harm, especially if it is to people with the duty of protecting our nation, but when the people we put our trust and faith in start failing us, we begin to lose our trust and faith. The next morning, the news may chronicle boy after boy shot in front of their own houses, eagerly awaiting to go home and eat dinner with the rest of their families. Instead, they never get to see their families again. The last face they will see is their angry white murderer, with that once respected badge on their left shoulder.
White Privilege has a deep and ongoing relationship with historical events and manors of historical glorification. Our nation is built on the wealth and ideals of our White Male Patriarchy. Regardless of the number of protests you attend, or the title you might give yourself as an “activist,” nothing can change history. The system has been broken for way too long, and no amount of effort can mend it. The only clear answer is to overthrow the system, seen by the recent lootings and acts of vandalism.
The blood boiling murder of George Floyd has not only acted as the last straw for the Black Lives Matter Movement to reach its apex, but it has also allowed for the unveiling of the systemic racism embedded in our country, one key example being the statues and memorials glorifying racist, patriarchal figures, or more specifically blatant symbols of hate.
For decades, people of color have protested the glorification of racist figures, unhappy with their names being plastered on the buildings of prestigious universities and their statues erected in parks throughout the nation. For the most part, the protests have remained ineffective. That was, until the height of the Black Lives Matter Movement was reached, where the relentless perseverance of the rioters created an induced sense of questioning prompting discussion as to what is socially and racially acceptable. Several monuments were taken down, and many others were vandalized and destroyed. Although violent and destructive, it is the first step towards a new world and environment of acceptance.
Here is an updated list as to which statues across The United States have been vandalized, destroyed, or officially removed:
Albany, N.Y. - An executive order was signed by Mayor Kathy Sheehan, which called for the removal of a statue of General Philip Schuyler, one of the largest slave owners in the state. The statue was located in front of city hall.Albuquerque, N.M.A Statue of Don Juan de Oñate depicted the colonizer of “New Spain,” and was ultimately vandalized.Alexandria, VaThe Appomattox was a statue removed of a civil war confederate general. Birmingham, Ala.A statue of Confederate general Charles Linn was destroyed by protestors.
Boston - A Statue of Christopher Columbus was beheaded by angry protestors.
Chicago- A statue of George Washington was vandalized in Washington Park.
College Station, Texas- A statue erected of Confederate General Lawrence Sullivan Ross was vandalized.
Dallas- A statue of a Texas ranger was removed from Dallas Love Field Airport.
Dearborn, Mich- A statue of the former Mayor of Dearborn was taken down in response to his racist views.
El Paso, Texas- A statue of Don Juan de Onate was vandalized at the El Paso International Airport
Fredericksburg, Va.- A slave auction block was removed off of a former slave trading post.
Huntsville, Texas- A confederate monument was vandalized by protestors in downtown
Huntsville.
Indianapolis, Ind.- A monument that honored Confederate Prisoners of War was taken down in response to the movement.
Louisville, Ky.- A statue of a confederate soldier John Breckenridge was removed from a town square.
Miami- Statues of Ponce De Leon and Christopher Columbus were vandalized.
Montgomery, Ala.- Students at Robert E.Lee High School tore down a statue of the confederate soldier.
Oxford, Miss.- A Confederate Monument at the University of Mississippi was vandalized by a Public School teacher.
Providence, R.I.- A statue of Christopher Columbus was vandalized by a group of school teachers, who were later arrested.
Richmond, Va.- The statues of Gen. Williams Carter Wickham, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and Christopher Columbus were vandalized and torn down.
Sharpsburg, Md.- A statue of Robert E.Lee and a part of the town called “Old Slave Rock” were vandalized.
Through the acts of protest, as well as destroying all connections with our nation’s history and founding (caused by the White Male Patriarchy), we come steps closer towards creating a new system of racial understanding and awareness, so that no group of people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, is ever deemed inferior to another.
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