Superintendent William T. Coles, joins “Charlottesville Right Now with Les Sinclair” to discuss his reasoning that the Charlottesville statues should be left alone. (Letter Below)

I have wrestled with my response to the Lee statue issue. I have looked at it and thought perhaps I am old and just do not see what these young people see. Let me say at the outset that I do not condone slavers or slavery; I was born and lived in the Jim Crow era of the South here in Ch’ville; and I experience what it is like to be black in america today. This is not an effort to whitewash/glossover what was and in many cases now is. Therefore I have decided to publicly state my postion in an effort to stop this statue insanity! I am not speaking for my church nor any other group or organization, so if there is any ire engendered/anger raised let it rest solely upon me.

It is a mistake to decide on the removal of statues/monuments of southern honorees in cities without the input of all stakeholders that are emotionally invested in them. It is a mistake to think that the only persons who care about these statues/monuments are white radical hate filled racist therefore they need to be removed so that racial harmony can be achieved?? Really; more will be done to engender racial disharmony and anger towards black people and other marginalized nonwhites; not solely from white racist, but some native southern whites who genuinely feel their culture and history is being impugned. Stop!! Evaluate and reevaluate why and for whom such action needs to done and the ramifications for doing so. If it is done and continues to be done in the current manner do not expect any meaningful discussions about healing afterwards.
But you can expect people with extreme ideologies, to use it for fodder to recruit and fight all who they feel is to blame. You can expect the rest for whom the statues/monuments mean something also having a visceral reaction, to stand by and do nothing to stop them or speak out against them. This latter group will smolder in their anger in what they see as unwarranted disrespect and look for ways to quietly undermine the progress of and unity with those who have shown such disrespect. Already the statue issue is contributing to the tearing apart of families, communities; and if it is not arrested, states and finally the United States of America; North versus South, liberal versus conservative, white, nonwhite, Alt-right, Alt-left and on and on. It is not necessary; statues/monuments are not the issue; the actions of people are: injustices and inequalities, violent acts that people do and condone are. If you really want to do something for me as a black person and other nonwhites marginalized like me, (if that is what you are doing), ensure me justice and equality and equal access; make a continued and concerted effort to change laws and practices in that regard. To do so does not threaten (should not) anyone else’s culture, history or way of life.
Do not let what happened in Charlottesville be a rallying cry and impetuses for removing these statues from other cities. To my city, my state, my country I am writing because I am hurt. I am hurt because of recent events in my home town Charlottesville. I am hurt because I did not speak up sooner in events regarding the statue of Robert E. Lee. Now violence has ripped our community, people hurt, lives lost and individuals and families have been traumatized and deeply scared emotionally: the focal point a statue which was out of mind, unobtrusive, invisible in plain sight, standing in a park occupying some minuscule percent of real estate in Charlottesville; a park in which hardly any of the city residents black or white frequented. Insignificant and irrelevant it was in the everyday lives of most city residents. I do not know or have heard of any black person in Charlottesville (until recent events) who woke up any day and said, “I just have to do something about that statue of Lee; it has been plaguing us for years.” Others, I would argue, blinded by the daily purposes of life did not see the statue or even know it was there. Such I would argue is the case with most of these monuments erected in cities. This needed not to have been a racial issue nor should it be.
I recently discovered in regards to Charlottesville that somebody decided in 2012 that the statue of Robert E. Lee needed to be addressed and set about doing it without showing respect to all those for whom the statue has emotional meaning; using inflammatory language like dismantle in regards to it. Here we are in 2017 still using inflammatory terms like dismantle, tear down, deface, sell, and traitor in regards to the disposition of statues. What was done in Durham was wrong (toppling the statue) and a blatant show of disrespect to southern heritage. Is it a wonder that those who care about the statues are alarmed and those who for the purposes of their own agenda will seize upon the moment to say that the white race is under attack? I do not want what has happened in Charlottesville to become a rallying cry for other cities to unceremoniously remove their monuments. Stop!! Evaluate and reevaluate why and for whom such action needs to done and the ramifications for doing so. I was approached months ago to join in protesting the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville and said no, and encouraged others to do the same, that statue is a nonissue as far as I am concerned. I have no quarrel with a dead man; we have issues with the living that require attention; no harm, nor injustice, nor acts of inequality had been done by the statue, was my reply.
Again it would be a mistake to think that removing statues of confederate persons so honored would not invoke visceral long term reactions from those for whom they have meaning. Do not expect them to be willing to enter into any conversation about healing in the aftermath. Do not think that by removing statues that you are improving the plight of blacks and other nonwhites either, rather you are retarding the process toward improvement. You are causing radical hate filled racist to feel justified in their hatred and to fill their numbers. You can expect the rest for whom the statues/monuments mean something to stand by and do nothing to stop them or speak out against them. This group will smolder in their anger in what they see as unwarranted disrespect and look for ways to quietly undermine progress and unity with those who have shown such disrespect. If you really want to do something for me as a black person and other nonwhites marginalized like me, (if that is your purpose), ensure me justice and equality and equal access; make a continued and concerted effort to change laws and practices in that regard. To do so does not threaten (should not) anyone else’s culture or way of life or alter their history. Stop!!