First published in TN Holler
Franklin, TN–We don’t get to report about positive things often these days, but we’re happy to be able to tell you that THIS WEEKEND IN FRANKLIN something positive actually happened: After a lot of heavy lifting by a lot of people, including preachers and historians, a United States Colored Troops Statue was erected and unveiled on the square, facing the spot where a Confederate statue has towered alone for too long.
It was truly a beautiful ceremony and moment, when the statue was unveiled by children of different races, with people of all different backgrounds in attendance and singers singing the same songs that were sung by those brave fighters who fought for their own freedom.
Granted, it would be nice to see the Confederate statues come down altogether, but if they’re going to be up there, much better that they’re not up there alone – but with a statue like this to remind us those confederate soldiers were in fact fighting to keep black folks enslaved.
Hard not to acknowledge the backdrop of many in Tennessee, and Williamson County in particular, fighting to make it harder for teachers to tell the truth about what was going on back then without fearing for their jobs.
Holler founder Justin Kanew’s daughter was one of the children who helped unveil the statue, and he’s truly grateful she was able to be a part of this important moment for Franklin, and Williamson County, and Tennessee and America in general.
Even today we have sitting Republican legislators refusing to acknowledge that the Civil War was fought over slavery. Adding a Colored Troops soldier statue tells “The Fuller Story”. We honor history by telling the truth about it. not by whitewashing it and pretending it was something it wasn’t. We’ll continue to do our part to yell the truth.
