The Make It Right Project has begun working with local activists, academics and citizen journalists in Denton, Texas, to take down the town’s Confederate monument.
Erected in 1918 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the marker has now stood for a century on the grounds of the county court. As historian and Civil War expert Karen Cox notes, Confederate monuments on courthouse grounds around the country have long conveyed “a very pointed statement about the rule of white supremacy: All who enter the courthouse are subject to the laws of white men.” The Denton Confederate statue is no exception.
The Denton Record-Chronicle recently published a piece providing an overview of the Make It Right mission overall and our exciting upcoming efforts in the town:
As summer turns into fall, Denton will increasingly move into the gaze of a national project whose backers want to empower local activists in their efforts to remove Confederate monuments in communities around the country.
Called the Make It Right Project, its leaders have 10 Confederate monuments across the United States that they believe should be taken down or removed. At No. 10 on the list sits Denton County’s Confederate soldier memorial, erected in 1918 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Read more…
Dallas and Denton NBC affiliate KXAS-TV also reported on Make It Right’s efforts in both cities. The station also aired a segment that highlighted the tireless efforts of Denton resident Willie Hudspeth, who has singlehandedly fought to take down his hometown’s Confederate monument for 20 years:
A New York-based project targeting southern Confederate statues for removal has its sights set on two such monuments in North Texas.
The Make It Right Project list includes the Confederate memorials in downtown Dallas—and in Denton. According to the group’s website, the project is committed to “Taking down Confederate monuments and addressing American historical truths.” Read more…
