Chapelboro.com is re-publishing some of the top stories that impacted our community in 2019. These were stories that affected Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the rest of our local area.

In August 2018, protestors toppled the monument from its pedestal at McCorkle Place on UNC’s campus.

After a proposed plan in December 2018 to move Silent Sam to a facility on campus — estimated to cost $5 million —  was rejected, the fate of the statue has remained in limbo.

Weeks ago, the UNC System announced it had reached an agreement with the Sons of Confederate Veterans — giving the pro-Confederate group the statue and $2.5 million for a trust for expenses related to its care and preservation.

Read our story here:

The University of North Carolina System reached a resolution to the future of the Confederate monument known as Silent Sam on Wednesday.

A court approved a consent judgement that would give possession, rights, title and interests of the statue over to the Sons of Confederate Veterans — removing UNC as the institution possessing Silent Sam. Under the terms, the university will also fund a $2.5 million charitable trust for expenses related to the care and preservation of the monument, including potentially a facility to house and display it. The money for the trust will come from non-state funds.

The North Carolina Division Sons of Confederate Veterans filed a lawsuit against the UNC System and its Board of Governors after the statue was removed from campus and no clear plans were determined on whether it would return. Protesters toppled the statue, which stood on UNC’s campus for decades, in 2018. Five members of the UNC Board of Governors were tasked in early 2019 to work with UNC-Chapel Hill to find a solution to the monument’s future that both complied with North Carolina laws protecting historical monuments and preserved the safety of the school’s campus.

In a release, the UNC System said the settlement prioritizes the safety and security of the UNC community and allows the school to focus once again on teaching and research.

“This resolution allows the university to move forward and focus on its core mission of educating students,” said UNC Board of Governors Chair Randy Ramsey.

The statue was removed from campus after its toppling in August, with its base also being removed five months later. Former UNC Chancellor Carol Folt debated over whether or not removing the statue violated a statute created by North Carolina’s General Assembly to protect monuments, memorials and parks. The statute, passed in 2015, says “objects of remembrance” can not be removed, altered or relocated without the approval of the North Carolina Historical Commission unless it is determined to pose a “threat to public safety.”

Continue reading here.

Related Stories
‹
Cooper: Time for North Carolina to Learn from History Without 'Idolizing Painful Symbols'
It is time for North Carolina to learn from its history and move forward with a welcoming environment for all in the wake of more tension over Confederate monuments in the state, the governor said on Thursday morning. Democratic Governor Roy Cooper was in Pittsboro Thursday for an event promoting Finish Line grants, which provide […]
North Carolina Historical Commission Meeting to Discuss Confederate Monuments
The North Carolina Historical Commission has scheduled a meeting for next week to discuss the future of Confederate monuments in North Carolina. A spotlight has been on the commission after a 2015 law passed by the Republican-led General Assembly limited the movement of “objects of remembrance” in North Carolina. The law routed requests to remove […]
State Historical Commission Delays Confederate Monument Vote Until Spring 2018
The North Carolina Historical Commission did not take action on Friday to remove or leave in place Confederate monuments on state grounds in Raleigh. The state body instead voted to create a committee of commission members to study the issue and come back to the commission with a recommendation at the board’s April 2018 meeting. […]
Orange County Judge: UNC Won't Receive All $2.5 Million Back in Overturned Silent Sam Settlement
A judge ruled on Wednesday the Sons of Confederate Veterans will not have to give back the entire $2.5 million sum placed in a trust by the University of North Carolina System as part of the settlement over the Confederate monument known as Silent Sam. In February, Orange County superior court judge Allen Baddour changed […]
Orange County Judge: SCV Have 45 Days to Return 'Silent Sam' to UNC
A judge imposed a 45-day deadline on the Sons of Confederate Veterans to return the Silent Sam statue to the University of North Carolina. Orange County Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour also ruled that the group must return the remaining balance of a $2.5 million trust fund that the university’s board of governors set up […]
Confederate Group Lawsuit, Silent Sam Settlement Dismissed in Court
An Orange County judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by the Sons of Confederate Veterans against the UNC System, voiding the $2.5 million payment to the pro-Confederate group and the transfer of property of the Silent Sam monument. After hearing arguments from both original parties, as well as two groups who filed amicus briefs arguing […]
Group of UNC Alumni Say Pro-Confederate Group Had No Standing in Silent Sam Lawsuit
A group of UNC alumni and donors filed court documents into the lawsuit between the UNC System and a pro-Confederate group on Wednesday, arguing there was no standing for the lawsuit that led to a $2.5 million settlement. 88 alumni of the university, including 14 members of the UNC Black Pioneers, entered a brief to […]
UNC Students File Appeal in Case Over Silent Sam Settlement
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed an appeal on behalf of a group of UNC students and a faculty member to intervene in the settlement between the UNC System and a pro-Confederate group. The organization filed on Tuesday in regards to the denial of its motion to intervene in the deal that […]
Daily Tar Heel Ownership Files Lawsuit Against UNC, Board of Governors Over Silent Sam Deals
The media group which owns the student newspaper The Daily Tar Heel filed a lawsuit against the University of North Carolina and the UNC System Board of Governors on Wednesday. DTH Media Corporation filed the lawsuit, alleging the settlement between the Board of Governors and the pro-Confederate group the Sons of Confederate Veterans over a […]
Top Stories of 2019: UNC System Gives Silent Sam to Pro-Confederate Group
Chapelboro.com is re-publishing some of the top stories that impacted our community in 2019. These were stories that affected Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the rest of our local area. In August 2018, protestors toppled the monument from its pedestal at McCorkle Place on UNC’s campus. After a proposed plan in December 2018 to move Silent […]
›