SCC calls for end of celebration of Forrest, THP violence against protestors
A statement by the Southern Christian Coalition

What morality requires of Governor Lee
Violence against protestors in Legislative Plaza and
State celebration of Nathan Bedford Forrest must both end

There are few figures from US history who embody and represent White Supremacy and its legacy as effectively and hauntingly as Nathan Bedford Forrest. Forrest defended the institution of chattel slavery as a General in the Confederate Army and later served as the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, our nation’s most prominent white supremacist organization. His name, image, and memory are inextricably, undeniably, and irredeemably bound to historic and present violence against minorities, particularly against people of African descent. His legacy is one of white rage and black terror. Neither the prominent display of a statue in his likeness in the building in which our laws are made nor the official designation of July 13th as a day of observation in his honor can ever be anything but endorsements of this legacy and a sinful denial of the God-given value and dignity of black lives.

The Southern Christian Coalition therefore adds its voice to those calling for the removal of this bust, including and especially those currently protesting at the Capitol and in Legislative Plaza. We further note with alarm that the documented violent conduct of the Tennessee Highway Patrol towards these protestors has been nothing short of a serious abridgment of rights guaranteed by the first amendment. They have trampled upon one of our nation’s most positive legacies in service of one of its most violent.

We believe that it is fully within Governor Lee’s power as Governor of Tennessee to direct the THP to cease this violence against the protesters and we call on him to do so. We further call on Governor Lee to continue to work to remove this statue from the Capitol building and to eliminate the day of observance in Forrest’s honor before July 13. While it is true that such a move would be be far from adequate to address the legacy of white supremacy past and present, symbols do matter. There must not be a Nathan Bedford Forrest Day this year.

About Southern Christian Coalition
The Southern Christian Coalition is a nonpartisan grassroots, ecumenical organization. Across our country, politicians have hijacked the pulpit, often distorting the values of our faith as society weighs important decisions. We are a community of Christians, speaking up on the values of our faith.

Published July 3, 2020