Taylor Swift calls for removal of monuments celebrating racist figures

Pop diva Taylor Swift has called for the permanent removal of monuments that “celebrate racist historical figures who did evil things” in her native Tennessee.

“Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forrest were DESPICABLE figures in our state history and should be treated as such,” Swift wrote.

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

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020

The 30-year-old singer, in a lengthy Instagram post and a series of tweets, has addressed the Capital Commission and the Tennessee Historical Commission asking that the organizations "consider the implications of how hurtful it would be to continue fighting for these monuments. When you fight to honour 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. "

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. 🙏

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020

Replacing his statue is a waste of state funds and a waste of an opportunity to do the right thing.

Taking down statues isn’t going to fix centuries of systemic oppression, violence and hatred that black people have had to endure but it might bring us one small step closer to making ALL Tennesseans and visitors to our state feel safe - not just the white ones.

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020

“We need to retroactively change the status of people who perpetuated hideous patterns of racism from heroes to villains,” adding that “And villains don’t deserve statues.”