Taylor Swift Calls for Removal of Statues of Racists and Slave Traders

The global iconoclasm continues as Taylor Swift called on Tennessee politicians to take down statues; which she said symbolize “hideous patterns of racism.”

In a statement posted to her Instagram account on Friday, the pop star asked the Capitol Commission and the Tennessee Historical Commission to “please consider the implications of how hurtful it would be to continue fighting for these monuments”.

Some of the monuments in question commemorate the work of members of the Ku Klux Klan and Confederate soldiers; according to the Lover singer.

“As a Tennessean, it makes me sick that there are monuments standing in our state that celebrate racist historical figures who did evil things,” Swift wrote. “Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forrest were DESPICABLE figures in our state history and should be treated as such.”

Check out the post below:

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 I’m asking the Capitol Commission and the Tennessee Historical Commission to please consider the implications of how hurtful it would be to continue fighting for these monuments. When you fight to honor racists, you show black Tennesseans and all of their allies where you stand, and you continue this cycle of hurt. You can’t change history, but you can change this. 🙏
 
A post shared by  Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Jun 12, 2020 at 1:01pm PDT
 

Swift stated that the statue of Cormack was as a “white supremacist newspaper editor; and that his statue should not be replaced at the state Capitol. She declared, “Replacing his statue is a waste of state funds; a waste of an opportunity to do the right thing.”

In addition, the 30-year-old expressed support for legislation that would enable the removal of the statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a founder of the Ku Klux Klan and notorious slave trader.

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“His statue is still standing and July 13 is ‘Nathan Bedford Forrest Day’. Due to social pressure, the state is trying to overrule this; and Tennesseans might no longer have to stomach it,” she stated. “Fingers crossed.”

She recognized that the legislators and lawmakers “can’t change history”; but she said that they can “change the status of people who perpetuated hideous patterns of racism from ‘heroes’ to ‘villains.'”

Swift concluded her message by stating: “Villains don’t deserve statues.”

In the past, the singer used to be criticized for not using her platform to promote her political beliefs. However, in recent years, the starlet has used her voice to encourage voting and to support the Black Lives Matter movement.