Petition For Chadwick Boseman Monument To Replace Confederate Statue Garners Thousands Of Signatures

A Change.org petition calling for a Confederate statue in Anderson, South Carolina, to be replaced by a monument to “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman — a native to the city — has gone viral, garnering thousands of signatures and climbing.

Launched shortly after Boseman’s untimely death at the age of 43 from colon cancer, the petition demands that the Confederate monument in front of the Anderson County Court House be taken down and replaced with a monument to Boseman.

“In addition to his illustrious film career, Mr. Boseman made it a mission to give back to his community,” the petition states. “Not only with his appearances at his alma mater Howard University but financially as well. Upon the release of his film Black Panther, Mr. Boseman took it upon himself to rent out a theatre in his home town of Anderson South Carolina to show the film for free. So that young boys and girls could be inspired by the film without the financial barrier.”

“Mr. Boseman is without question an American treasure and his accolades go on and on. It is only fitting that his work is honored in the same place that birthed him,” it continued.

As noted by the Post and Courier, the Confederate monument has been the source of controversy for many years because of an inscription that reads: “The world shall yet decide, in truth’s clear, far-off light, that the soldiers who wore the gray, and died with Lee, were in the right.” Despite efforts to have the monument removed, South Carolina state law “prevents local officials from relocating it without permission.”

“The Heritage Act requires a two-thirds vote from the state legislature to remove any Civil War memorials on public property,” the outlet stated.

The petition argues that this law is “unfair and undemocratic” and denies local residents the right to assemble against a monument they no longer believe supports their values.

“It is unfair and undemocratic that the residents of Anderson County cannot even assemble to vote on whether or not this statue should remain,” it said. “Under the current state law, even if the removal was placed on the local ballot and the residents voted for removal it would not be allowed. The statue has been placed on public land and is maintained by taxpayer dollars it only makes sense that the people should have a say on what goes on this land.”

Anderson Mayor Terence Roberts, the city’s first black mayor, said that the city is already working on ways to honor Boseman’s life, including a “free screening of ‘Black Panther’ on Thursday night at the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center amphitheater,” while the city works on more permanent memorials.

“For our community, our kids, all kids, but especially kids of color, he showed you can have a dream, you can work hard towards your dream, hone in on a craft and become excellent at it,” said Roberts. “He’s proof that that can happen in our community and kids can look up to that.”

On the Confederate monument’s continued existence, Roberts said that the challenge going forward will be to “recognize the history but create our own history.”

“My dad always used to tell us we have to recognize what history meant,” Roberts said. “For a lot of citizens in our country, that part of history is very painful and it’s painful for my brothers and I. Having said that, it’s 2020, and we have to figure out how to go forward and recognize the history but create our own history.”

As of this writing, the petition has earned over 30,000 signatures with a goal of 35,000.