Last week, I filed an amendment to the annual defense bill to rename all bases named for Confederate generals. Yesterday, Senate Armed Services Committee members reached an agreement: the US military must rename those military installations within 3 years.
That’s not all. Under this new agreement, the Pentagon would be required to remove all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States from all @DeptofDefense assets – ships, barracks, and other military property.
Changing the names of our bases won’t erase the history of slavery and legacy of white supremacy in the US. We’re fighting for legislation, oversight, and accountability to root out systemic racism. But it’s long past time to stop honoring this ugly legacy.
I'm still urging our military leaders to take action now, and to be thoughtful about who we memorialize going forward. We should honor the contributions of Black, Brown, Native, & women servicemembers & others who have served.
I’m grateful that the Armed Services Committee is taking this step forward. Donald Trump should listen to his own party members and Pentagon leaders who recognize that it’s time to respect generations of loyal US servicemembers and rename these bases.
