UNC Chancellor Announces Removal of ‘Silent Sam’ Confederate Statue
BYE BYE
Reuters / Jonathan Drake
The last remnants of the controversial Confederate statue known as “Silent Sam” at the University of North Carolina will be removed, the school’s chancellor has announced. At the beginning of the academic year, protesters tore down the statue but the base and commemorative plaque that remained on campus will now be taken away. Chancellor Carol Folt initially planned to move the statue to a new $5.3 million building to keep it away from protesters, but has now announced its total removal after an outcry from students who say it’s a symbol of white supremacy. “The presence of the remaining parts of the monument on campus poses a continuing threat both to the personal safety and well-being of our community,” she said. Late Monday night and early Tuesday morning, students gathered at the site to celebrate the last parts of the statue being removed.