via Wikimedia
Throughout the South, Confederate monuments abound that depict enslaved Black people as happy in their captivity, a lie brought to life for disturbing reasons.
“Lost Causers” were people interested in making America “great again.” Their ideology paints an idyllic portrait of the Confederacy as heroic and fair, instead of racist and vicious.
Throughout the 20th century, they were on a mission to rewrite history and reimagine a South where enslaved Black people were HAPPY as property.
This historical revision was often carried out through “loyal slave” monuments.
As Black people became more empowered, “faithful slave” monuments popped up more frequently.
Serving as a tribute to the Old South, these strategically-placed memorials were warnings against Black independence and attempts to soothe white guilt.
Sadly, their impact on the American consciousness was a success.
As noted by Kali Holloway, director of the “Make It Right Project” that’s campaigning to remove Confederate monuments nationwide, American media bought into the myth:
“[F]rom Aunt Jemima ads to… Gone with the Wind,” to the magical Negroes in Green Book - released just last year! - “loyal slave” propaganda is used to fight against Black empowerment.
At the core of the “loyal slave” trope and its subsequent monuments is the belief that we should feel GRATEFUL that we exist at all in this country.
And to that? We say TEAR ‘EM DOWN!