Silent Sam
NC CRED: The harms inflicted by Confederate monuments — and why they should be toppled
Every October, Ronda Taylor-Bullock’s hometown would come alive on Goldston’s Old Fashion Day. Vendors would line the streets of the small rural community, selling wares and performing music. But there was one booth that wasn’t for her, a Black child. It made her feel unsafe, even though no adults had explicitly told her to stay away. […]
PW exclusive: Author Geeta Kapur discusses her new book detailing the history and legacy of racism at UNC
As a lawyer and civil rights activist, Geeta Kapur was well aware of racism in North Carolina. But she had a blind spot concerning the history of her alma mater. That changed in 2010, when she attended an exhibit on the Black experience in the South at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Wilson Library. “It was called ‘We […]
UNC-Chapel Hill professors call for chancellor’s resignation over “serial dishonesty”
The UNC-Chapel Hill chapter of the American Association of University Professors is calling for Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz’s resignation. Citing “serial dishonesty” in both the handling of the Silent Sam Confederate monument settlement and last semester’s mishandling of a return to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the group sent a letter Thursday urging the chancellor to […]
New ‘Silent Sam’ revelations contradict past public assurances offered by UNC Chancellor Guskiewicz
In December 2019, Kevin Guskiewicz, then the new UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor, appeared before a concerned and angry Faculty Council. The UNC System had just announced its Board of Governors had settled a lawsuit with the NC Sons of Confederate Veterans. The settlement would not only give the group the controversial Silent Sam Confederate monument but also $2.5 million in trust to care for it.
UNC Board of Governors members did not negotiate Silent Sam deal, according to documents
On Monday UNC-Chapel Hill’s independent student newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, agreed to settle its lawsuit against the UNC System over the handling of the Silent Sam Confederate monument controversy. The paper sued the system and the UNC Board of Governors over a negotiated settlement with the NC Sons of Confederate Veterans in which the […]
Civil rights group declares victory in ‘Silent Sam’ case
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law declared victory in a Silent Sam case today after an Orange County Superior Court dismissed the controversial lawsuit between the group known as the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the University of North Carolina over the “Silent Sam” statue. In a news release, the committee announced it […]
Silent Sam lawsuit dismissed, statue returned to custody of UNC-Chapel Hill
A Superior Court judge has dismissed the Sons of Confederate Veterans lawsuit over the “Silent Sam” Confederate monument at UNC-Chapel Hill, bringing to a conclusion the latest chapter in a decades-long controversy over the statue. In an order filed Friday, Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour said the court is satisfied that the statue has been […]
Judge approves $82,000 spent from “Silent Sam” settlement trust
An Orange County Superior Court Judge approved more than $82,000 in spending from the $2.5 million awarded to the Sons of Confederate Veterans in an invalidated legal settlement with the UNC System. Judge Allen Baddour scrapped the controversial settlement in February, finding the Confederate heritage group had no standing to sue for ownership of the […]
Virginia makes progress on dealing with Confederate monuments
The newish Democratic majorities in the Virginia General Assembly just keep on creating new examples for North Carolina to follow. The Old Dominion has already expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and passed legislation to protect LGBT residents from discrimination and decriminalize marijuana. Now comes word of progress on the vexing subject of Confederate […]
News and notes from Friday’s UNC Board of Governors meeting
Friday’s meeting of the UNC Board of Governors didn’t contain any major bombshells — but there were some noteworthy moments and comments as the board looks to move beyond recent controversies at East Carolina University and the ongoing issue of the Silent Sam Confederate monument. SILENT SAM UNC Board of Governors Chairman Randy Ramsey said […]
Silent Sam settlement scrapped — but questions remain
As Policy Watch reported yesterday, an Orange County Superior Court Judge effectively scrapped the UNC System’s controversial “Silent Sam” legal settlement with the NC Sons of Confederate Veterans Wednesday. The group will not keep the Confederate monument that was toppled by protesters in 2018 or the $2.5 million UNC had agreed to pay in a […]
Dellinger: Discarded UNC plan dooms Silent Sam deal and any proposed campus return
Since the UNC Board of Governors unveiled its sweetheart package for the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), critics of the payoff have uncovered witnesses and documents that should lead fair-minded observers to conclude that the outlay is unwarranted. As the agreement currently stands, the SCV gets possession of “Silent Sam,” the Confederate monument that towered […]