Tag: Confederate Monuments

Confederate Plaque Removed from Jefferson County Courthouse

A plaque honoring Confederate soldiers has been removed from a West Virginia courthouse.The Journal reports the Jefferson County Commission voted 3-2 last…

A plaque honoring Confederate soldiers has been removed from a West Virginia courthouse.

The Journal reports the Jefferson County Commission voted 3-2 last week to remove the plaque and it has been taken down.

Officials have been discussing the plaque’s future since a letter requesting its removal was sent to county officials last year immediately following violent protests at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which had been organized in part to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Some residents with family who fought on the Confederate side of the Civil War argued that the plaque in West Virginia should remain.

Commissioner Jane Tabb said she voted for the removal to be sensitive to the African-American community.

Officials said it’s unclear whether the plaque will be relocated.

 

Marshall University Reviews Building's Confederate Name

Marshall University has hosted a meeting to hear opinions on whether to change the name of a building honoring a Confederate Civil War general.

 The Herald-Dispatch reports faculty, staff and alumni spoke at the meeting hosted by a school committee formed to examine the name of Jenkins Hall. 

The hall honors Gen. Albert Gallatin Jenkins, who one professor told the committee was even criticized by the Confederate leaders Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

College Republicans Secretary Trentan Sizemore noted the name change should mean a name change for the college itself, which honors Supreme Court judge and slave owner John Marshall.

The committee will collect and consider responses through Dec. 14 and will present a recommendation to the University President Jerome Gilbert in January.
 
 

Us & Them: Confederate Reckoning… When Will the Civil War End?

The tragedy in Charlottesville, VA makes us wonder if it’s possible to reconcile different versions of history. This episode features two American foreign correspondents of color who’ve sought to answer this quandary, flying from Kenya to Louisiana to report on protests over the dismantling of Confederate monuments.

On this week’s episode of the “Us & Them” podcast: a rift that stems from unfinished business regarding slavery and race. Will the Civil War ever be over?

From West Virginia Public Broadcasting and PRX, this is “Us & Them,” the podcast where we tell the stories about America’s cultural divides.

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Vigil in Charleston at Confederate Statue in Wake of Charlottesville Violence

About 80 people attended a candlelight vigil and a protest rally in Charleston Sunday evening. Attendees rallied at the West Virginia State Capitol to speak against racism, white supremacy, and to ask for the removal of the statue of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson from the Capitol grounds.

Speakers included religious leaders, who spoke about coming together as a community following Saturday’s violent white supremacy protests in Charlottesville, Virginia. The rally was organized by Rise Up WV, a progressive community organizing group. 

Credit Roxy Todd/ WVPB
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Counter protesters with the Ohio Valley Minutemen debated with attendees at an anti-racism rally in Charleston, W.Va.

Most of the people at the rally said they’re in favor of removing the Confederate statue of Stonewall Jackson, but they also shared other ideas for racial healing.

There were about ten counter-protestors at the rally, who said they opposed taking down the Confederate Statue.

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