New Petition Seeks To Replace Confederate Monument With Memorial To Black Panther Chadwick Boseman
A petition was just started to replace a Confederate monument in Anderson, South Carolina, the hometown of the late Chadwick Boseman, with one that memorializes the actor.
The Change.org petition started on Monday has already garnered over 26,000 signatures for those who wish to honor the late actor.
As many of you know, the actor died last Friday after a long and secretive battle with colon cancer. He’d been battling it since 2016. It came as a shock to many since the actor had never publicly talked about his illness.
The petition, which is addressed directly to the mayor of Anderson, seeks to replace a Confederate monument that is currently standing in the town square.
Starting off, the creator of the petition highlights the accomplishments of the actor, “Mr. Boseman spent his life uplifting the stories of Black Americans both real and fictional.”
Weaver continued, “Throughout his career, he has brought to life such historical figures as James Brown, Jackie Robinson, and Thurgood Marshall. However, most notably he was known for playing T’Challa the King of Wakanda also know as the Black Panther.”
The petition said of Chadwick Boseman, “Mr. Boseman is without question an American treasure and his accolades go on and on. It is only fitting that his work is honored in the same place that birthed him.”
The monument the petition is seeking to replace with the memorial to Boseman was erected in 1902 in honor of the veterans of the civil war who were from Anderson.
The petition creator spoke of his own personal experience with the monument while attending Anderson University, “every day as I walked to my class downtown the eyes of this monument would be the first thing I see.”
He continued, “As I left and entered my classroom, I faced a monument erected to a man and an ideology that believed that I was inferior. At first, it did not affect me.”
Mr. Weaver would also state, “It was simply a statue. But as time went on and the hate in our country once again reared its ugly head the statue became a reminder of how little progress has been made. As I saw the desecration of Black lives and the rights of Black Americans, this statue was no longer a reminder of the past but a warning of the future to come.”
The petition doesn’t only seek to remove the monument but to repeal a law that protects monuments maintained on public lands. Saying, “Under the current state law, even if the removal was placed on the local ballot and the residents voted for removal it would not be allowed.”
It continues, “The statue has been placed on public land and is maintained by taxpayer dollars it only makes sense that the people should have a say on what goes on this land. The function of a government is to serve all of its people. Section 10-1-165 must be repealed.”
The petition closes with the call for “new heroes” as the creator goes on to state, “We must move past the tragedies of our past in this nation and celebrate new heroes. Mr. Boseman is a hero to this nation but more importantly a hero to the town of Anderson.”
Weaver added, “His legacy was one of excellence and equality. As fellow citizens go about their day they should have a face that sees all people as equal.”
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