,
81 tweets,
14 min read
Read on Twitter
some dixie defenders here in the gallery at the richmond city council meeting tonight. they’re expected to vote on whether or not to ask the legislature to allow the city to decide what to do about the confederate monuments.
wtvr.com/2018/10/08/ric…
wtvr.com/2018/10/08/ric…
to be clear: this isn’t a vote on what to actually DO about the monuments, just to ask the state for permission to decide locally.
my enthusiasm for municipal government is surpassed only by my hatred of monuments to white supremacy.
there was an informal session at 4pm prior to the official council meeting that just started — apparently they decided to continue just about every other matter on the agenda. i guess they expect a lot of public comment on the legislative packet.
this ain’t my home turf — check out @RVAdirt’s coverage of this meeting (and every other meeting in richmond!) for a more in-depth analysis.
i only see a small handful of statue enthusiasts in the crowd... even fewer than they get at their weekend rallies.
somebody send the confederacy a memo about diversity of tactics - you gotta be in the streets & the council chamberNR8a
somebody send the confederacy a memo about diversity of tactics - you gotta be in the streets & the council chamberNR8a
like the meetings albemarle county & cville city school boards had with legislators last week, richmond is also prioritizing increased school funding in the legislative packetrtEy
i’m not entirely sure what’s going on here 
something about “the death angel riding in the cloud” and “the blood of jesus is against you.” he’s been admonished for turning to address the gallery, but he’s on a roll. he says he has filed a federal lawsuit, but i’m not sure exactly what about.
the clerk is reading out the amendments to the agenda... it’s the entire agenda. all the other business is being pushed to the tuesday november 13 meeting.
did a white lady just speak in opposition to affordable housing because she wants more public parks? where she can “feed the homeless”?
80% AMI isn’t “affordable,” especially when that figure uses the metropolitan statistical area, rather than just the city’s income.
and now for the agenda item that brought me out to richmond tonight — whether or not the city council will request permission from the general assembly to decide as a local body what happens to the confederate monuments on monument avenue.
councilman jones: “it’s too divisive, some say; we have other pressing matters,” “but we have still been elected to lead”
“i’m not looking to erase history,” he says, “but i wish i could erase slavery. i wish i could erase lynchings. i wish i could erase the death of emmet till.”
“i’m not looking to erase history,” he says, “but i wish i could erase slavery. i wish i could erase lynchings. i wish i could erase the death of emmet till.”
there’s quite a line formed for public comment. this fellow is ready to exercise his first AND second amendment rights.
chairman of the monument preservation fund spoke first. he doesn’t think we should continue to stir up “bitter emotions.” yeah, i agree — tear ‘em down.
colonel sanders up there has the same accent as my grandmother. you don’t hear that old southern non-rhotic accent in real life much anymore.
“the fate of these splendid monuments” shouldn’t be “in the hands of local political posturing.”
the speaker was admonished not to attack an individual councilor, to which he responded “well he was the one who attacked the city!” which was met with laughter from the gallery.
the speaker was admonished not to attack an individual councilor, to which he responded “well he was the one who attacked the city!” which was met with laughter from the gallery.
this guy is mad councilman dr jones once at gummy bears during a meeting
mr three percenter, dixie defender says it’s “not about any type of racism.”
“people need to know the truth, whether it was good or bad.” (somebody tell him about books)
“people need to know the truth, whether it was good or bad.” (somebody tell him about books)
he literally just said “i like big art and i cannot lie.”
“this monument has never bothered anybody,” says this member of the dixie defenders
a member of the virginia task force three percenters and great great granddaughter of a confederate soldier. she says confederate soldiers were “8-11 years old on a battlefield, beatin’ a drum or whatever they did.” damn if only there were a way to learn about history.
“leave ‘em there and add 20 new statues - 5 black, 5 white, 5 indian, 5 men who were slaves, and 5 women who were slaves!” that’s... 25 statues.
her time is up but she says “i only have 5 more things to say.”
“it’s just somethin’ positive to do for our kids today. please don’t take ‘em down.”
“it’s just somethin’ positive to do for our kids today. please don’t take ‘em down.”
“who’s gonna replace the revenue the statues are bringing into this city?”
y’all i don’t think jefferson davis has been paying taxes.
y’all i don’t think jefferson davis has been paying taxes.
a resident of monument avenue says he saw six people stop their car and take pictures of the jefferson davis statue tonight, so we shouldn’t take it down. damn, that sounds like a traffic hazard.
he’s pledging $5000 to put up a new statue, but doesn’t have any opinion on what it should be or where it would go 🤷♀️
oh good, that threeper is pressuring her 8 year old son, in a confederate flag t-shirt naturally, to read a statement about the civil war. the poor kid can barely read and is being taught some seriously revisionist history.
“the north came on the south’s land and took their thing and the south told them to get off but they wouldn’t so the south had to attack.”
honestly he makes about as much sense as the adults who’ve spoken tonight.
honestly he makes about as much sense as the adults who’ve spoken tonight.
“we need to add to our history and not remove history,” says this man who i think witnessed the civil war firsthand.
if you had “white guy quotes dr king in support of white supremacy” on your bingo card, you win!!!!
richmond city council has speakers for and against a measure speak separately. the folks opposed to the proposal have all spoken & folks speaking for it are lined up now.
former rva councilman chuck richardson up first - “it is unthinkable that we are even debating” keeping up a statue of a man who said “we will mirror the US constitution in all ways except one - that the negro is inferior to the white man”
“i’m ashamed to think” there are people “who think those statues never hurt anybody,” chuck says. his time is up but they are allowing him to finish. he’s telling a story about serving in vietnam with a man who wore a confederate flag on his helmet.
“you think it means facing adversity with courage, but that’s a romantic vision”
“we think of the little girls that were raped every night. we think of the men who were hanged without trials. we think of the people who were beaten until the flesh crawled from their muscles.”
“we think of the little girls that were raped every night. we think of the men who were hanged without trials. we think of the people who were beaten until the flesh crawled from their muscles.”
the next speaker asks council to remove the lighting around the lee & davis monuments — they are LIT UP at night! very bright.
she also asks council to rename the lee bridge and route 1 (jefferson davis highway).
she also asks council to rename the lee bridge and route 1 (jefferson davis highway).
just a note on procedure — having the clerk interrupt speakers to let them know when they only have 30 seconds left is INCREDIBLY disruptive. a visual signal would be a huge improvement.
“it’s not history - it’s propaganda,” says this speaker, who says he was raised on those myths about his southern ancestors.
he says his family still owns a former plantation, with slave quarters in tact. “the day i inherit it will be the day i burn it down.” 🔥🔥
“when you know better you do better... and you know better,” says the next speaker. “we can all agree that we all respect everybody’s history, but it needs to be where history belongs.”
“art is not eternal, just ask banksy,” says this art historian & educator.
“i used to think educational placards would help... and then charlottesville happened.”
“i used to think educational placards would help... and then charlottesville happened.”
“the idea that it’s heritage not hate is absolutely wrong.”
“as a jewish american, when i see the confederate flag, it’s the same as a swastika.” she says when a swastika was spray painted on her home, a confederate flag was left in her mailbox.
“as a jewish american, when i see the confederate flag, it’s the same as a swastika.” she says when a swastika was spray painted on her home, a confederate flag was left in her mailbox.
“tonight you heard a lot of revisionist history,” this speaker says, citing the articles of secession themselves which name slavery as the motivation.
in response to the “heritage not hate” argument he says: “my ancestors died here, too — they died on the plantation at the hands of the slavemasters.”
he closes by reading robert e lee’s own words opposing monuments to the civil war — “i think it well, moreover, not to keep open the sores of war.”
the public hearing is now closed. the council will discuss.
councilwoman gray says “i think there’s a lot of confusion about statements that have been made.” — says the primary focus of the legislative packet is school funding.
councilwoman gray says “i think there’s a lot of confusion about statements that have been made.” — says the primary focus of the legislative packet is school funding.
gray says the general assembly has already rejected charlottesville’s request & putting something on the legislative agenda “will cloud all of our other requests.”
she says this would be at the expense of “living breathing children”
she says this would be at the expense of “living breathing children”
councilor gray: “the biggest monuments to white supremacy are in richmond public schools when our children are denied a basic education. and we’re sitting here making symbolic gestures.”
“i don’t think this is a wise move strategically.”
“i don’t think this is a wise move strategically.”
ok but to that i say:
she is asking people who spoke against the monuments to “put some of that passion” into ensuring kids get a good education. because obviously we’re all single-issue activists 🙄
now council woman reva trammel is telling some sad stories about kids who can’t afford school supplies. which is devastating! but i’m not sure what it has to do with keeping the monuments up?
maybe rva city council should talk to @DrWesBellamy to get some tips about caring about both backpacks AND monuments to white supremacy. it can be done, reva.
this is cowardice. again, this vote ISN’T EVEN ABOUT actual action — it’s about asking permission to consider taking action. are they worried the state will say yes and they’ll have to admit they don’t want to take the monuments down?
they’d lose the excuse they’ve been repeating all this time — the dillon rule prevents them from taking action. the odds that the general assembly would grant the request are pretty low, so why even fight this?
a female councilor whose nameplate i can’t see says this resolution isn’t in line with the recommendations from the moment commission - she says the report recommended taking down 1 statue & the resolution requests authority to make decisions about 5 statues.
she’s worried it will dominate the conversation about their legislative packet - “we’ve seen this dominate our conversations for the last year”
(oh weird, what happened a year ago?
*stares charlottesville-ly*)
(oh weird, what happened a year ago?
*stares charlottesville-ly*)
“we have to look at the big picture when we go to the state level.”
so that makes three councilors who have spoken against the resolution.
so that makes three councilors who have spoken against the resolution.
“it’s been quite a journey listening to all the stories shared,” says councilor addison, who served on the monument commission. he echoes the earlier statement, that the monument commission only recommended the removal of the jefferson davis statue.
he calls it “a sweeping resolution” that would allow removal of five statues and would support the resolution IF it were in line with the commission’s recommendation to act on a single statue only.
C O W A R D S
this resolution would only give them permission to have the conversation. it doesn’t DECIDE any outcome. they can’t even pretend to stand in solidarity with the people and communities hurt & endangered by these monuments.
this resolution would only give them permission to have the conversation. it doesn’t DECIDE any outcome. they can’t even pretend to stand in solidarity with the people and communities hurt & endangered by these monuments.
agelasto warns “we could find ourselves in a lawsuit with the federal government”
“timing is important.” “the timing now i don’t think is appropriate.”
so how long should people of color wait, parker?
“timing is important.” “the timing now i don’t think is appropriate.”
so how long should people of color wait, parker?
the alternatives he proposes are CREATING CONTEXTUAL VIDEOS AND POSTING THEM ON THE CITY’S WEBSITE and SIGNS!
what an absolute fucking joke.
what an absolute fucking joke.
“you can’t blow up the city,” agelasto says. damn dude, who suggested that?
council vice president cynthia newbille emphasizes that the legislative packet isn’t a single agenda item & lists several others. “public education is priority, absolutely, but this particular paper allows this council to have authority in the disposition of monuments.”
she reiterates a few times that this doesn’t dictate any particular outcome. it simply gives the local body the authority to decide.
councilman dr jones reads a statement from the school superintendent: “please do not use richmond city public schools funding as a reason not to support this paper.” “if we do not stand up for what’s right, what are we telling our kids?”
“i do think that in fifty years these statues won’t be here,” says richmond city council president chris hilbert. “i was poisoned by the lost cause narrative,” “it’s wrong. the civil war was about slavery.”
“as much as i find these statues distasteful,” “the fact is that schools and other wealth divide matters are the reason we are so segregated” hilbert says.
oh that was a turn... after all that, hilbert says he is going to vote no. voting now...
it didn’t pass. the richmond city council will NOT be asking the general assembly to allow them to decide the fate of the confederate monuments. all the confederates immediately stood up to leave as the clerk read the next matter.
several councilors cited the importance of focusing on schools as their reason for voting no tonight. the superintendent says that’s not a good enough reason.
this isn’t about schools. they set up a false dichotomy and wrung their hands. but this resolution didn’t ask for a single dollar. they already SPENT the money on the commission. they just want to be able to have the conversation about acting on the commission’s recommendations.
if councilor gray cares so incredibly much about school funding, why did she disappear from chambers when it came time to vote on the mayor’s paper on including school funding in the legislative priorities?
she can’t spare a moment for “symbolic gestures” because she’s so worried about school funding. so where did she go when it came time to go on the record supporting it?
the announcements are... endless. reva is telling folks know how they can sign up for the “citizen’s police academy.” 🙄🙄
pro monument, pro cop, no surprises.
pro monument, pro cop, no surprises.
reva on mayor stoney’s request for school funding tonight: “he says he’s been to all the schools, and i’m sure he has... he’s not always at city hall.”
😳 spicy.
😳 spicy.
councilor reva trammel asks businesses “to find it on their heart” to adopt schools. she’s been talking for... several minutes. if i had a dollar for every time reva said “THE CHILDREN” i could fund the schools
now she’s thanking donald trump for funding a program that provides free smoke alarms.
reva again: “our police officers are doin’ everything they can. our police officers are workin’ 24/7.” she then says the real problem is when police officers go to court and the cases get dismissed. “how do you think the police officers feel? it’s not right.”
ok but actually what the fuck, reva? she’s essentially advocating putting the law solely in cops’ hands.
