Last Thursday, April 11, the Make It Right Project launched its campaign to take down the John C. Calhoun monument in Charleston, South Carolina. The kick-off event was held at the Redux Contemporary Arts Center, which has partnered with MIR on an ongoing performance series, Standing / Still. The night featured a performance by Charleston Poet Laureate Marcus Amaker, DJ Samira Miché aka Sista Misses and artist Todd Anderson. Attendees included a cross-section of folks from Charleston’s arts, activist, academic, political and faith communities.
The Charleston Post and Courier covered the story, in a piece headlined “They Helped Bring Down Silent Sam. Their New Target: Charleston’s Calhoun Monument.”
WCIV-ABC News 4 Charleston also ran a segment. Here, it’s critical to mention that the package was preceded by an anchor announcing that MIR had “led the charge” in the effort to take down Silent Sam, which was toppled in August 2018 by protesters. We want to be clear in stating that while we did work with numerous activists in Chapel Hill ahead of the monument’s removal, we do not take credit for “leading the charge.” Ahead of the statue’s takedown, MIR provided support—on several fronts—to those who have been fighting for years to take the monument down. Our work involves bolstering the efforts of those on the ground, many of whom have been tirelessly pursuing every path to removal.
Thanks to all of you who are a part of this fight.
Update, 4/22/19: ABC News’ WJBF NewsChannel 6 also covered the campaign. Additionally, coverage by the Associated Press was syndicated in more than 30 major U.S. publications.
Image credit: “John C. Calhoun — Marion Square Park Charleston (SC) 2012” by Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0, Flickr, modified from original. Design by Farida Sheralam.
