TO THE EDITOR:
Despite Gerald Horne’s laudable dedication to social equity (Silent Sam a monument to pre-Civil War enslavement, Jan. 18), I disagree with your portrayal of Silent Sam. Comparing him to the Iraqis’ statue of Saddam Hussein misinterprets Silent Sam’s meaning and purpose.
When Iraqis tore down the monument to their oppressor in 2003, it symbolized the end of a regime. Silent Sam, however, reminds us of a tragic but critical chapter of UNC’s history.
Slavery occurred, and we participated. Though we students wish this chapter could be erased, we cannot deny its existence. Silent Sam quietly prevents us from forgetting our involvement in a great travesty of American history.
He commemorates neither slavery nor the Confederacy but the courageous if misguided sacrifice of UNC students.
Yet what if we did decide to eliminate all mentions of slavery? Removing one statue would hardly suffice. Many buildings on UNC’s campus were built by slaves and named after their wealthy white oppressors. In this sense, our very classrooms are “monuments to violence and racism.” Shall we rename every offending building? Should we re-lay every brick of slave-built sidewalk? This University is a place of knowledge, not ignorance. Only through remembering our past can we protect our future.
Silent Sam is a sentinel and warning — one UNC should heed well. He cautions us to remember our past — no matter how incriminating — so its repetition will never become an option.
Brittany Darst
Freshman
