SPLC Condemns Trump Administration’s Move to Restore Confederate Monument
Washington, D.C. – The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has strongly condemned the Trump administration’s plans to reinstall a Confederate statue of Albert Pike in Washington, D.C. This decision comes in the wake of publicly demonstrated opposition to Confederate symbols during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, which saw the statue toppled following George Floyd’s murder by police.
The National Parks Service (NPS) announced that it would repair and return the statue to its original location east of the White House this October. An NPS spokesperson claimed that this action aligns with federal historic preservation laws and aims to beautify the capital. However, the costs associated with the restoration remain undisclosed.
In its response, the SPLC criticized the administration for perpetuating a narrative that minimizes the role of Confederate leaders in slavery and racism. “Confederate leaders are not figures to be celebrated,” stated Rivka Maizlish, senior research analyst at the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “They should be remembered for their defense of white supremacy and efforts to dismantle democracy.”
Pike, a former brigadier general in the Confederate Army, has a checkered history that includes advocating for the expulsion of free Black individuals from Arkansas and rumored affiliations with the Ku Klux Klan. The SPLC also emphasized that this reinstatement reflects a broader effort by the Trump administration to restore Confederate symbols and narratives, including recent moves to rename U.S. military bases after Confederate figures.
The SPLC continues to promote racial justice and works actively against the resurgence of Confederate monuments, providing resources for communities seeking to remove or rename such symbols. The organization argues that these monuments should be replaced with figures who fought for justice and equality.
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