Rawlings opens process for removing Dallas’ Confederate monuments

By David Wilfong, NDG Contributing Writer

At a press conference on Tuesday, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings started the ball rolling on a process that may lead to the removal of monuments in Dallas built in honor of famous Confederate leaders. The announcement came after a weekend of violence that culminated in the death of one protester in Charlottesville, Va. Two police officers also died in the crash of a helicopter, which was observing the events from the air.

“Like so many Americans I was heartbroken to see this tragedy over the weekend because of the pain that bigots and racists can bring to a community,” Rawlings said. “We’re mourning the loss of Heather Heyer as well as the two fallen Virginia State Police Troopers, and for all the other victims of the violence that unfolded in Charlottesville over the weekend. My heart goes out to the mayor. He did a great job.”

Rawlings noted he was particularly dismayed by the involvement of one key individual who spent part of his childhood in Dallas. He also lamented that his city is not free of past guilt in the area of civil rights.

“The fact that a Dallas native played a key role in organizing the event celebrating racists, neo-Nazis and White supremacists made it extremely difficult for me, being the mayor of Dallas. We know about this bigotry and hatred all too well in Dallas, a place that for so long was a bastion of the Ku Klux Klan, and was dubbed the ‘City of Hate.’ A place where just 13 months ago a madman came here to kill certain cops just because they were white. As we try to grow as a city, we can never ignore the fact that race and our racial injustices of the past continue to haunt us, and the institutional racism we see economically every day keeps us from the goal that we have as a city.”

Like Charlottesville, Dallas has its own symbols of the Confederate past, and Rawlings said the time has come to address this.

“One symbol of those injustices are public art and statues in some parts of our city,” Rawlings said. “As I expressed before, I think they are dangerous totems in our Dallas society, because they divide us, versus unite us. I have not changed that point of view. In fact, it’s easy to jump on the bandwagon and say ‘tear them down,’ because it’s frankly politically correct, and in many ways it makes us all feel good. I feel that way. But I hesitate, and the reason is because I realize the City of Dallas is better, is stronger, when we are united and not divided.”

Rawlings said he turned to the city’s charter for guidance in how to deal with the issue. He is forming a task force, which will work for up to 90 days and present it’s finding to the Office of Cultural Affairs and its board. From there the council will take public comment and refer the matter to the Quality of Life Committee to make recommendations.

“Then we as the city council can make the decisions we need to,” Rawlings said.

Rawlings has asked two organizations to advise him on the matter. The Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Team and the Dallas Holocaust Museum and Center for Education and Tolerance will both be working with the mayor and council on the future of the monuments.

Dallas has had its problems in recent years, and Rawlings noted that while he respects freedom of speech, he is determined to see that the example of violence perpetrated in Virginia is not repeated here.

“Our police department will work, and has worked, with any protest groups that want to let their voice be known,” Rawlings said. “If you are thinking about doing that, please call our police department. They will help you. We will not interfere with a lawful and peaceful assembly or groups expressing their first amendment rights.

“At the same time, we will not tolerate violence in our city of any kind. The police department will take immediate enforcement action if any type of criminal offense is committed against any person or property. The safety of our officers and citizens is the primary concern as individuals or groups gather to express their first amendment rights. We will not have street brawls in our city, and our police department is prepared to make sure that doesn’t happen.”