Removal of Jefferson Davis statue is not enough (TX)

BY ADAM HAMZE
POSTED ON AUGUST 20, 2015 AT 4:40 PM

... The demonstrations against the statue’s presence on campus, which include vandalism of the statue, public forums discussing its future and the appointment of a University task force to deliberate possible solutions, were not the first of their kind. Black students have been expressing their grievances against the multiple confederate monuments across campus since at least the ’60s. The charges against the statues cited they create a hostile environment, represent the legacy of racism rather than the legacy of black resistance and provide black students with a constant reminder of the hateful history of Texas and the Confederacy.

Fenves’ decision is a compromise at best. While the remaining Confederate monuments do represent aspects of Texan history, they also represent white supremacy’s role in institutionalized oppression, past and present. There is only one statue on campus dedicated to a black Texan, although there have been countless contributions to the state by black individuals, many of whom have been underappreciated. One of the most notable, courageous and relevant individuals, not only to Texas and UT, but public education across the nation, is Heman Marion Sweatt — the first black student at UT.

Sweatt endured a grueling and emotionally tolling legal battle with the University after being denied admission solely due to his blackness ...

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/blogs/a-matter-of-opinion/2015/08/20/removal-of-jefferson-davis-statue-is-not-enough-for-black