Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) introduced legislation on Wednesday to establish a program through the U.S. National Park Service to speed up the removal of Confederate symbols and create others representing the freedom of Black Americans.
“It is past time that we eradicate these totems of treason and replace them with symbols that represent the true promise of America, such as the emancipation of Black Americans,” Rush said in a statement.
He added, “My bill, the REFUSE Confederate Principles Act would do just that by creating the Emancipation Historic Preservation program, which would provide grants for removing the false idols of the confederacy and replacing them with symbols and structures that we can actually be proud of.”
Rush mentioned the death of Heather Heyer, a woman who was killed in Charlottesville, Virginia when a Confederate sympathizer drove his car into a group of protesters during a “Unite the Right” rally to honor the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are more than 1,700 Confederate statues and symbols still standing in public places across the United States.
“These abhorrent commemorative structures, many of which were created long past the conclusion of the Civil War, are located in areas that far exceed the confines of the 11 Confederate States and are a means to uphold Confederate principles and white supremacy,” Rush said.
He continued, “The same white supremacy that led to the death of Heather Heyer and countless others.”
The act would create a grant program entitled the Emancipation Historic Preservation Program designed to expedite the removal of Confederate landmarks and replace them.
It would provide funding for the creation of other monuments to “commemorate or depict the freedom of enslaved Black people.”
Additional funding would be provided for the storage of Confederate symbols for educational purposes.
The act would also prohibit the use of funds for preserving, rehabilitating, restoring, or constructing a Confederate symbol. Lastly, it would mandate a “reporting structure to ensure accountability in the distribution and use of funds.”
