Officials at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill on Monday officially recommended moving the “Silent Sam” statue dedicated to Confederate soldiers to a new $5 million building dedicated to the university’s history, after it was vandalized and torn down in August by a group of protesters.
“I think a center to tell our history is really important. That idea is really important, and that idea came from the community, not just from us. We have many buildings that require more contextualization,” Chancellor Carol Folt said, according to the Daily Tar Heel.
“We have a lot of issues from slavery and civil rights that have to be dealt with. It’s designed as a full center and education center; the artifact will be only a piece of a long history,” Folt said.
Several hundred people gathered Monday evening at the location where “Silent Sam” had originally been to protest the announcement. The pedestal on which the monument used to stand was boarded up and had a railing around it, and university police stood by to guard it.
Folt introduced the plan to house the statue in a new location, and the Board of Trustees approved the proposal Monday. They anticipate that the new building will open in 2022 at the earliest.
The plan now heads to the Board of Governors, who will convene later this month and review the proposal. Folt and others are asking the board for permission to submit a request to the North Carolina Historical Commission, which would have a final say on approving the plan.
