NPS Releases Statement On Issue Of Race, Equity, And Values

Many communities are removing statues of Confederate soldiers, including one of Gen. Robert E. Lee in downtown Richmond, Va. Should the National Park Service do the same?/Statue of Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson at Manassas National Battlefield, Kurt Repanshek file

Acting National Park Service Director David Vela said Tuesday that his agency "rejects behaviors, beliefs, and judgments that erode the rights and freedom of all people," and that it would work "against all racism."

"We believe in the power of nature and the history of resistance to inspire, educate, and promote fundamental change," Vela's statement said. "The National Park Service protects places where our nation has struggled with issues of race, equity, and systemic violence...from the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home in Mississippi, to the duty station of the Buffalo Soldiers at the Presidio in California, the Frederick Douglass home in Washington, D.C., Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, and the path of the marchers from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. These and other places in our care honor the sacrifices of people who fought to advance social justice and human rights."

Vela made no mention of whether the numerous statues to Civil War-era Confederate generals and soldiers that can be found in military parks overseen by the Park Service would be removed because of the South's support of slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War. Some communities were doing just that. The University of Alabama this week removed memorials to Confederate soldiers, and a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was to be removed from its location in Richmond, Virginia.

Three years ago, during a period of social unrest following a riot in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and anti-racist demonstrators, some communities removed Confederate statues. Baltimore, Maryland, officials, removed four monuments overnight, and a statue in Durham, North Carolina, was toppled by protesters. At Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia, a statue of Stonewall Jackson was vandalized in October 2017 with paint covering much of the granite base and the word "Dead!!!" spray painted in gold. 

At Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, more than two dozen statues and monuments are dedicated to Confederate officers, such as Robert E. Lee, and Southern states that fought against the North. 

Last summer, a member of Congress from the District of Columbia called for the Park Service to remove a statue of Albert Pike, a Confederate general, from its location near Judiciary Square in Washington, to another location.

"I oppose tearing down Confederate statues, because I believe they should be moved to more appropriate settings, like museums, to avoid erasing an important part of history from which Americans must continue to learn," Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton said last July when she introduced legislation to accomplish that goal.

The legislation has languished in the House of Representatives Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.

As Traveler noted in 2017, across the country, the issue of "presentism," of viewing past events through today's attitudes and righteousness, is driving community decisions and fueling divisiveness, anger, and, in some instances, violent unrest. At the time, the Park Service issued a statement outlining its position on Civil War statues and monuments.

"Across the country, the National Park Service maintains and interprets monuments, markers, and plaques that commemorate and memorialize those who fought during the Civil War," that statement read. "These memorials represent an important, if controversial, chapter in our Nation’s history. The National Park Service is committed to preserving these memorials while simultaneously educating visitors holistically about the actions, motivations, and causes of the soldiers and states they commemorate. A hallmark of American progress is our ability to learn from our history." 

Vela on Tuesday also mentioned First Amendment rights, saying "the National Mall has served as a venue for people to exercise their First Amendment rights since its creation in 1791. Freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly are constitutional rights. However, the courts have recognized that activities associated with the exercise of these rights may be reasonably regulated to protect park resources."

The acting director did not mention last week's incident in Lafayette Park across from the White House, where U.S. Park Police participated alongside other law enforcement personnel to clear protesters from the park so President Trump could pose for a photo op in front of St. John's Church. There were reports of tear gas and rubber bullets being fired by officers, who also used flash grenades and batons to remove protesters. While news reports said the protesters were non-violent, acting Park Service Chief Gregory T. Monahan maintains some of the protesters "began throwing projectiles including bricks, frozen water bottles and caustic liquids" at USPP officers who were helping Secret Service personnel install a fence at Lafayette Park.

Vela said Tuesday the Park Service must "be allies for equity and equality and work against all racism. But words without action have no meaning. Together with our partners and supporters, the National Park Service commits to putting all communities first."

"We will engage in more dialogue with communities who have been missing from the discussions for far too long—so that we are able to better understand and respond to what they want and need from parks and programs," he said without mentioning specific communities or initiatives. "Guided by our staff and partners, we will better engage those outside our organization and do the necessary work to be genuinely inclusive. National Park Service leadership is committed to be a champion for an organizational culture that is increasingly inclusive and participatory, which values the diverse ideas, experience, and background of every individual, and empowers an innovative, flexible, and resilient NPS to engage future opportunities and challenges."