For the Real Silent Sam protestors, historical accuracy is the primary concern.
On Wednesday, the Real Silent Sam movement held its second protest of the school year on the steps of Wilson Library to continue raising awareness about the history of the Silent Sam monument in McCorkle Place.
Alexander Stephens, a UNC alumnus involved with the Real Silent Sam movement, said the group is working on a proposal to request that the University adds a plaque that provides a thorough explanation of the monument’s history.
“There are a number of reasons why we don’t want to quiet down,” Stephens said to the crowd of about 30 students.
Stephens said the statue — which was erected in 1913 to honor UNC confederate soldiers — is also a symbol of white supremacy and racism.
“We are trying to inform people so they understand our complete history,” he said.
Nicole Campbell, a senior anthropology and women’s studies major, spoke at the protest about the group’s mission.
Campbell said those involved are not fighting to remove the statue, but to raise awareness of what Silent Sam represents.
“Removing the statue is not necessary — it would just foster a sense of social forgetting,” Campbell said.
