A campaign to remove
the controversial Francis Eppes statue from Florida State University’s campus has been reintroduced by a student group.
TALLAHASSEE — The campaign to remove the controversial Francis Eppes statue from Florida State University’s campus has been reintroduced this week by Students for a Democratic Society.
On Sept. 6, the organization held a protest around the Integration Statue, which was followed by a march to the Eppes statue.
This protest came the day after an announcement that the FSU administration will review campus statues and naming policies.
“We welcome the university administration to do a review of all statues, names and recognitions on this campus. It is important that we take a serious look at the history of racism and slavery on this campus,” an SDS member said.
The controversy surrounding the Eppes statue reached its peak last year when SDS placed a referendum on the Fall 2016 Student Government ballot to remove the statue and rename the Eppes building, alleging that Eppes’ legacy as a slave owner and confederate supporter didn’t align with FSU’s values. This referendum failed when 71.7 percent of students voted “no” when asked if they were in favor of removing the statue of Eppes from in front of Westcott Building.
“(Eppes) developed a white militia that would enforce brutal antiblack codes and laws,” an SDS member alleged. “They would go after runaway slaves. They would be there to stop any rebellions. They operated a strict police state.”
The protest remained relatively quiet until a passerby asked if SDS would advocate for the demolition of Mount Rushmore or other historical monuments that memorialize other American figures who were slave owners.
An SDS member had a strong and visceral response to the question, exclaiming to the crowd that taking down Mount Rushmore also would be warranted, adding that the people in this country aren’t ready for that type of change.
SDS alleges Eppes did not contribute in a meaningful way to the founding of the university and that his recent veneration is an attempt by the university to revise history. Since the statue was put up in 1999, SDS members claim it is not a historical relic and there’s no valid argument for keeping it.
Not everyone agrees. Courtland Culver, an economics major at FSU, thinks tearing down confederate statues is a disservice to our history. He is in favor of erecting a plaque next to the statue explaining Eppes’ history. “Let everyone know what he did and what he was all about. Just don’t tear down the whole thing.” he said.