Groups Celebrate Anniversary of Silent Sam Toppling at UNC

Singing and chanting started a rally Tuesday night celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Confederate monument on the UNC campus known as Silent Sam being toppled by protesters.

A coalition of groups organized Tuesday’s event, including a land acknowledgment from a member of the Carolina Indian Circle and remarks from Barbara Sostaita with UndocuCarolina – a group aimed at making UNC a safe place for undocumented students and workers.

“What I learned last fall, when activists brought down Silent Sam, is that we make us safer,” she told the cheering crowd.

Sostaita said Tuesday’s event was both bizarre and poetic in timing, for her in particular.

“Because [Wednesday] I officially become a US citizen.”

The rally moved across Franklin Street to McCorkle Place, where the Confederate monument stood on the campus for more than 100 years.

One of the speakers at that stop is still facing criminal charges following last year’s toppling.

“We also celebrate, not only the toppling of a symbol, but the toppling of white supremacy,” Raul Arce Jiminez said. “And as white supremacy crumbles to the ground, we the people – here, us – we’ll be the ones to rebuild a world without white supremacy.”

The rallygoers then huddled around the Unsung Founders Memorial, a monument dedicated by the Class of 2002 honoring “The People of Color, Bond and Free – Who Helped Build the Carolina That We Cherish Today.” Attendees placed flowers on the monument and held a moment of silence.

The rally continued to the Old Well – where others were waiting in line to drink from the Old Well on the first day of classes, per university tradition. There, across from the university administration offices in South Building, the protesters called for the university to change the names on buildings across campus honoring those with ties to slavery and white supremacy.

“The memorials to white supremacy at UNC are both a symptom and a cause of racism in this town, this state, this nation,” a speaker told the crowd. “But we tore down Sam; we renamed Hurston Hall, and we will do it again and again and again and again and again and again, until they all fall.”

The rally spilled onto Cameron Avenue, up Columbia Street, to the intersection with Columbia and Franklin, where protesters shut down the intersection. The roadway was closed for roughly 15 minutes. No major incidents were reported at the rally.

‹

Chapel Hill Business, Faith Leaders: Do Not Reinstall Silent Sam

Permanently relocate the Confederate monument known as Silent Sam from the UNC – Chapel Hill campus. That’s the message sent to university leadership in separate letters last week from the Chapel Hill – Carrboro Chamber of Commerce and the Chapel Hill Interfaith Clergy. The letter from the chamber touts three reasons for its request, including […]

Demonstrators Gather in Peace and Justice Plaza

Demonstrators gathered in Chapel Hill’s Peace and Justice Plaza yesterday for what was deemed “A More Perfect Union”. With Silent Sam looming in the background, Chapel Hill/Carrboro NAACP, the Community Church of Chapel Hill and others originally planned to gather for a counter protest of White Nationalist leader Richard Spencer’s would-be appearance on campus. Although […]

Honoring Chapel Hill's Black Builders: UNC Landmarks and the Local Faces Who Built Them

Maps are storytellers, but they can exclude certain narratives. Fowota Mortoo said that’s the case for Chapel Hill’s Black builders.

'More Self-Governance': Panel Discusses Free Speech, Political Influence at UNC

A panel of UNC guests talked about the state of democracy on campus and the chilling effect that has followed the increased pressure from state lawmakers.

Tar Heel Bikes Program To End May 31

Tar Heel Bikes, the UNC campus bikeshare program, will end May 31 of this year with the expiration of its contract, UNC announced last week. Tar Heel Bikes, the campus bikeshare program, will end May 31. The University is in the process of selecting a new bikeshare provider and plans to announce a new service […]

Gov. Cooper Names Chapel Hill, Carrboro Community Members to State Advisory Roles

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper named several people to state advisory boards and commissions on Friday. Among there are a handful of Chapel Hill and Carrboro community members. Dr. Michael Kunz of Chapel Hill is one of those. Cooper appointed Kunz to the North Carolina Plant Conservation Board. His role will be to represent the […]

What Local Events Are Being Canceled Over Coronavirus Concerns?

This post will continue to be updated regarding any cancellations or postponements of events in the Orange and Chatham county communities from concerns of the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The North Carolina Botanical Garden will be closing its main garden and education center beginning on Friday, March 20. A […]

Chapel Hill to UNC: Relocate Silent Sam Away from the Town

Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger and members of the Town Council sent a letter to UNC following the voided lawsuit between the university and a pro-Confederate group. Last week, Judge Allen Baddour ruled that the Sons of Confederate Veterans lacked evidence to prove the group had legal standing to bring action against the UNC System and dismissed […]

'Santa Says Coal is Naughty': Protesters Rally Against Coal Plant, UNC

Earlier this week, two conservation groups filed a lawsuit against UNC, accusing the university of having violated the Clean Air Act by not following pollution control requirements at a plant used by the school. But for Gary Richards, this was just the latest step in the battle against the coal plant and the university. “I’ve been […]

Groups Celebrate Anniversary of Silent Sam Toppling at UNC

Singing and chanting started a rally Tuesday night celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Confederate monument on the UNC campus known as Silent Sam being toppled by protesters. A coalition of groups organized Tuesday’s event, including a land acknowledgment from a member of the Carolina Indian Circle and remarks from Barbara Sostaita with UndocuCarolina – […]

›