Metro-Detroit Activist, Alexandria J Hughes, Responds to Removal of the Largest Confederate Monument in the U.S

There are many facets to anti-racism, but the most popular in 2020, included removal of racist monuments. Whether it was Minneapolis, or communities surrounding me, there were activists and legislators taking action to eliminate statues of slave owners, and leaders of the past who carried out mass massacres on American Soil.

Knowing that dozens of activists including myself were instrumental in urging Dearborn, MI City Council members to move forward on renaming the Hubbard Ballroom, and removing the statue of former Dearborn Mayor Orville Hubbard is a feeling of joy. After our protesting efforts in 2020 to stop racist policing in cities such as Dearborn and Livonia, Michigan, we were elated to see progress being made. But this also came with a feeling of  uncertainty. Uncertainty, for what the future of Black Americans will be. This year, in the same cities, myself and others have been labeled as extremist and ignored, after advocating that police reform is necessary. At Livonia City Council meetings, community members have voiced concern about experiences of racial profiling, but received no response, and in some instances city council members made jokes instead,.  In Dearborn, MI we’ve obtained data showing that black people are less than 4% of Dearborn’s population, but received 47.7% of citations and comprised 58.6% of arrests in 2019, and were met with force from City Council members, as well as accusations of misrepresenting data. 

In February, elected officials across the country commemorated Black History Month, while  reflecting on the many contributions of African Americans as well as continued racial struggles. In Dearborn, city council members began Black history month by silencing civil rights activists. 

The removal of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond, VA gives me the same feeling of uncertainty.  A temporary moment of rejoice, and a continued desire to see long term efforts towards dismantling systems of anti-Black racism, for the betterment of Black Lives.

Deconstructing the largest confederate statue in the United States, does not equate to abolishing sustained harm on Black Americans, instead it’s symbolic change, and that only goes so far.

The size of monuments being removed doesn’t matter if the impact of racism on Black Americans is the same. Symbolic change isn’t foreign to America. After the passing of Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and others, there were many public places and statues created in honor of them.

This year, The Federal Bureau of Prisons found that 38% of inmates in the U.S are Black, despite being only 14% of the United States population.

 The removal of racists monuments is the minimum, Anti-Racist Policies is the maximum; black People want the maximum.

 Targeting racist policies and replacing them with anti-racist ones would truly shape futures of Black People for the better.