Monday, August 21, 2017

The Richmond Planet speaks - What did the African American newspaper of Richmond say about the Robert E. Lee Monument in 1890?

The Robert E. Lee Monument on Richmond's Monument Avenue was unveiled on May 29, 1890. The Richmond Planet, the city's leading African American newspaper of the time, published two items during the month of May of 1890 concerning the monument. It clearly made its view of the monument known. These two brief articles are worth reading today as we debate what to do about the monuments and statutes built to honor the memory of the Confederate States of America - the "nation" that was created to preserve slavery and that fought the United States of America and lost. Can you just imagine what Richmond's African Americans had to think - many of them born into slavery - as the monuments to the "Lost Cause" were slowly erected in the city?

The article above, taken from Chronicling America, was published on May 10, 1890.

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And from the day after the unveiling:  


The article above, taken from Chronicling America, was published on May 31, 1890.
"The South may revere the memory of its chieftains. It takes the wrong steps in doing so, and proceeds too far in every similar celebration. 

It serves to retard its progress in the country and forges heavier chains with which to be bound. All is over." - Richmond Planet, May 31, 1890.
Read more about the Richmond Planet HERE.

UPDATE - just saw this - excellent coverage of the Richmond Planet and other Richmond newspapers and their coverage of the Lee Monument  entitled "Complicated History: The Memorial to Robert E. Lee in Richmond,"by Claire Johnson, Virginia Newspaper Project Intern.  Great job by Ms. Johnson. This was posted on the Library of Virginia's Fit To Print blog on the library's Virginia Newspaper Project. 

What should we do with the statutes and monuments of Monument Ave.?  I suggest putting them in a park outside the city. Soon. - Ray. 

5 comments:

David Streever said...

The Marines refused to acknowledge the ceremony. I think that's a pretty telling indictment, don't you?

Shockoe Examiner Staff - see bottom of blog entry for the specific author. said...

Edward - go to Chronicling America and you can read all the white newspapers you want on their coverage of the unveiling of the Lee Monument.

David - thanks for your intelligent comment.

- Ray

Edward Holland said...

Mr. Streever. If it's not too much trouble could you post a link to article about the Marines' "indictment"?

K S McPhail said...

And then again . . .

Our Colored Troops Will Parade
The Executive Committee of the Monument Association extended an invitation to Major Johnson, of the colored battalion, to participate in the parade, and they will.

Last night the Attucks Guards, the Carney Guards, and the State Guards, the companies composing the colored battalion, met at their respective headquarters. After being in session a short time they concluded to accept the invitation tendered by the committee. Captain Emmett Scott commands the Attucks Guards, Captain C. B. Nicholas the Carney Guards, and Captain R. A. Paul the State Guards.

-Richmond Dispatch-27 October 1887

Shockoe Examiner Staff - see bottom of blog entry for the specific author. said...

Thanks K.S. McPhail.. I'll have to look that up.

- Ray