Confederate statues returning to Baltimore spark community debate
By Marshall Keely
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BALTIMORE, Maryland (WBAL) — Four Confederate statues decommissioned nine years ago are being returned to Baltimore after spending months on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, sparking renewed debate about their future.
The statues, which include “Soldiers and Sailors,” “The Confederate Women of America,” “The Lee and Jackson Double Equestrian,” and the Roger B. Taney statue, were part of an exhibit called “Monuments.”
The exhibit examined the movements that led to the removal of Confederate symbols from public spaces nationwide over the past decade. The exhibit ended earlier this month, leaving questions about where the statues will go next.
“As a Black man, you can’t help but think about slavery and the whole Civil War and the ongoing oppression,” one resident said in response to the statues’ return.
“I don’t like that they’re coming back,” said Eve Addison of Baltimore. “I don’t think that they should be back.”
Addison suggested the statues could be placed in a museum rather than in public spaces.
“Maybe a museum just so that we can see where we’ve come from as a society, but not like out in the world where they can just be encountered,” she said.
Scott Ryan, another community member, disagrees.
“They should not be put back on display in the public as public art. Personally, I think they should be melted down and that we put the last remnants of the Confederacy to bed,” Ryan said.
Ryan raised concerns about the cost of maintaining the statues, which were displayed in their current conditions, some still covered in paint from protests.
“Especially metals like this, like most of them are, have their own conservation issues that cost money,” he said. “You need a full-time staff to take care of these things, and I don’t think money should go into it, personally.”
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott addressed the statues’ return during a press conference Wednesday, reiterating his previous stance that he would prefer the monuments be melted down.
“I think you know the answer to that. Yes,” Scott said when asked if he stood by his earlier comments.
Addison supported the mayor’s position, saying, “I’d be fine with that. Works for me.”
Another resident added, “I don’t see any reason for them to have been up initially, let alone see them now.”
City leaders have not provided a timeline for the statues’ return or detailed plans for their future. The mayor’s office released a statement saying it is staying informed as city agencies identify next steps for the monuments once they arrive in Baltimore.
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