It’s 2017, and
there is a statue of the founder of the Ku Klux Klan in the center of a
majority black city. Erected in 1905, the
Nathan Bedford Forrest monument has stood as a sign of racial oppression in
Memphis for over a hundred years, yet recent nationwide conversations on the
troublesome memorialization of the Confederacy has created momentum to get the
statue removed. While the controversy
over the Nathan Bedford Forrest statue is, and should be, at the center of
Memphis’ grappling’s with its troubled history, equally important to rewriting the
city’s historical narrative to progress from a legacy of racial oppression
should be the commemoration of influential Memphians who have long been
overlooked; which is why Memphis needs to erect a monument to Civil Rights
titan, Ida B. Wells.
Currently the only public historical
reference to Ida B. Wells in Memphis is a small marker on Beale street listing
a very brief overview of her extensive accomplishments. The lack of recognition to Wells is
problematic but not surprising. Throughout the U.S. there are very few
monuments commemorating African American historic figures, and there is
especially few honoring prominent female activists from the pre-Civil Rights
era. Although Wells played a monumental role in the struggle for equality in
the late 19th and early 20th century as the co-founder of
the NAACP and the leader of the Anti-Lynching movement, she has long been cast
aside as an afterthought in the story of Memphis and America. As I am sure is
true for many of us, before taking history classes at Rhodes I was never
exposed to Wells. This is a travesty. Wells,
as much as any historical figure, should be ingrained into the minds of all Memphians
and Americans. Effectively portraying the horrors of lynching to an
international audience while spearheading efforts to establish a national Civil
Rights Movement, she exposed the evils of white American society to the world while
laying the foundation for the vigorous fight against racial inequality in the
mid-20th century.
Wells
importance to the story of America, and Memphis in specific, without question
should validate the creation of a monument in her honor. Erecting a statue of
Wells not only would tell the inspirational story of an American hero, it would
also help the community to heal its racial divide by forcing all Memphians to begin
to confront the city’s difficult history. Just as Memphis’ statues of Nathan Bedford Forrest
and Jefferson Davis stand as figures of a historical narrative stepped in white
supremacy, a monument dedicated to Ida B. Wells would contribute to tearing
down problematic histories by illuminating the unwavering strength and
determination exhibited by Memphis' vibrant African American community
throughout the city’s existence. [1]
WC: 468
[1]
Elise Preston, “Local Historian: Monuments in Memphis should tell both sides of
History,” WREG Memphis, http://wreg.com/2015/07/09/local-historian-monuments-in-memphis-should-tell-both-sides-of-history/.
Your proposition is a really wonderful response to the monument-controversy. While I certainly still believe that we must reevaluate/take some sort of action against statues honoring historically oppressive figures, building monuments to honor those who fought against that oppression is a great place to start. If people are so concerned about not tearing down statues in the name of "remembering history," then we might as well remember the ENTIRETY of history (of course, to the best of our abilities.) The statue debate is a really interesting one. In Sociology with Dr. Robsinon last year we discussed the many different stances on the issue. Going into that class, I was very simply pro "tear-it-down." After that class, however, when Dr. Robinson explained how tearing down statues might be pushing oppressive history away, I became more of a "add an extensive plaque explaining all the terrible things this person did, and why it is important to remember it" person. Your suggestion also pushes the pro-remembering stance, while calling out oppression and not letting oppressive history slide. Ida B. Wells was one of the most courageous, influential and important figures in African American History--more people ought to know about and honor her.
ReplyDeleteYour proposition is a really wonderful response to the monument-controversy. While I certainly still believe that we must reevaluate/take some sort of action against statues honoring historically oppressive figures, building monuments to honor those who fought against that oppression is a great place to start. If people are so concerned about not tearing down statues in the name of "remembering history," then we might as well remember the ENTIRETY of history (of course, to the best of our abilities.) The statue debate is a really interesting one. In Sociology with Dr. Robsinon last year we discussed the many different stances on the issue. Going into that class, I was very simply pro "tear-it-down." After that class, however, when Dr. Robinson explained how tearing down statues might be pushing oppressive history away, I became more of a "add an extensive plaque explaining all the terrible things this person did, and why it is important to remember it" person. Your suggestion also pushes the pro-remembering stance, while calling out oppression and not letting oppressive history slide. Ida B. Wells was one of the most courageous, influential and important figures in African American History--more people ought to know about and honor her.
ReplyDeleteI remember talking briefly about Ida B. Wells back in the day, except when Professor McKinney brought her up in class; I was only familiar with her name and not her actions. I know that there is major controversy over taking down the Confederate monuments, but why not erect statues that pertain to Memphis’ history in a more positive light. When I went to a history talk in September called “Thinking About Monuments in Public Spaces,” it made me think. People believe that tearing down monuments erases history, though they are symbols for an event/person. At the same time, monuments serve the psychological needs of people. Are the Confederates the winners? That’s what we are saying by keeping those types of monuments erected. Winners write history; we can change that now though. Wells is an important character in Memphis’ history. Her role was not light, and I believe there is no harm in erecting a monument that is much needed.
ReplyDelete