Under the cloak of a quiet night, the last remaining Confederate monument on North Carolina state property was finally dismantled and removed, bringing a symbolic close to a deeply contentious chapter in the state's history.
The operation to remove the 75-year-old statue of a generic Confederate soldier, known as 'Tom', was conducted without public fanfare. Workers took advantage of the cover of darkness to detach the bronze figure from its granite base on the grounds of the old state capitol in Raleigh.
A Long and Contested History
The monument's removal follows years of heated debate, legal challenges, and public protests. Erected in 1949 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the statue had long been a flashpoint for community division.
For many, it represented a painful glorification of slavery and white supremacy. Its presence on state grounds became increasingly untenable amid a national reckoning over racial injustice, particularly following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Legal Wrangling and a Path to Removal
Efforts to remove the statue were initially hampered by a 2015 state law protecting historical monuments. However, a pivotal legal agreement was reached after the state's attorney general's office determined the law did not apply in this specific case, as the monument was situated on state-owned property.
The state's Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will now be responsible for storing the monument securely. Officials have confirmed that it will be offered to a historical association, but under the strict condition that it is displayed in an indoor, contextualised setting—not returned to public land.
A Symbolic Step Forward
This silent, night-time removal signifies more than just the taking down of a metal and stone structure. It represents a deliberate and significant step by North Carolina to distance its official spaces from symbols that many citizens find oppressive and divisive.
While the debate over how to remember history is far from over, the empty plinth in Raleigh stands as a powerful testament to a changing America, one that is gradually confronting the uncomfortable legacies of its past.
