Petition To Replace Confederate Monument With Chadwick Boseman Statue Gets Signed By Thousands
As Hollywood continues to mourn the loss of Chadwick Boseman, thousands are calling to replace a confederate monument in South Carolina with a memorial statue of the actor.
A Change.Org petition titled “Replace the Confederate Monument in Downtown Anderson with a statue of Chadwick Boseman” has garnered over 19,000 signatures in just four days.
The petition reads, “With Chadwick Boseman’s early passing, it is important that we honor a true local legend my immortalizing him in stone in front of the courthouse. The Confederate Monument belongs in a museum, but has no right to be displayed there.”
The petition continues by explaining Chadwick’s impact on his hometown: “I believe the community should come together to honor someone from Anderson, South Carolina that was able to change the movie industry. He opened doors for many young black people with his leading roles in movies such as ‘Black Panther’ or ‘Marshall.’”
The petition does not call for the confederate monument to be destroyed—just relocated. “The Anderson County Museum should be the permanent home to the Confederate Monument. It should be accompanied by the history of the monument and the reasoning for its relocation. It should preserve history, but not honor the ideals for which the Confederacy stood.”
“It is time to unify Anderson around a true local hero and time to honor all South Carolinians, not just the ideals of a few,” the petition continues.
The popular petition comes on the heels of many celebrities speaking up about confederate statues. Britney Spears, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake have called for the removal of confederate monuments in recent months, while country star Faith Hill advocated for Mississippi to remove the confederate emblem from their state flag.
Chadwick’s family announced his passing from colon cancer at just 43 last Friday. According to their statement, the actor had battled the disease for four years prior to his death.
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