Popstar Justin Timberlake believes it is time for every Confederate monument in the United States to be torn down.
In a video published to Instagram on Monday, the Tennessee-born singer shared a video from the American Civil Liberties Union, which noted that more than 1,800 Confederate monuments still stand throughout the country. Timberlake said they should all be taken down so the country could heal and move forward.
“More than half are in The South, and it’s not acceptable,” he wrote. “No one should be protecting the legacies of Confederate leaders and slave owners. If we plan to move forward, these monuments must come down.”
Timberlake added that even if the monuments are removed, there is still much work to be done to overcome the country’s “vile history of oppression.”
“But let’s remember: Removing these statues does not erase our country’s vile history of oppression — removing them is a symbol of respect for Black people in America and it’s a step towards progress and actual equality for all,” he continued.
Some Confederate monuments across the country have been forcefully removed by protesters after George Floyd died while in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.
Timberlake said the U.S. was “built” through racism and that the continued presence of the monuments is a celebration of past ill deeds.
“America was built by men who believed in and benefitted from racism,” he wrote. “Plain and simple … those men who proudly owned and abused Black people are STILL celebrated all over the country.”
