‘Silent Sam’ base removed overnight

UNC chancellor orders removal of monument

Remnants of a contentious Confederate monument that stood on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for more than 100 years were removed Tuesday, but the controversy over “Silent Sam” was far from over.

The statue itself, constructed in 1913 in homage to “the sons of the university who entered the war of 1861-65 in answer to the call of their country,” was toppled in August by protesting students. A pedestal and plaque remained in place and the statue in storage while school officials debated the memorial’s fate.

School Chancellor Carol Folt on Monday ordered the removal of the pedestal and announced her resignation, effective at the end of the academic year.

“Overnight, workers removed the base and tablets from the Confederate Monument site,” Folt said hours later on Twitter. “I am confident this is the right decision for our community.”

The statue has been a divisive issue for the 30,000-student campus, with both sides conducting sometimes angry protests at the site. Last month, the board of governors rejected a $5.3 million proposal to build a new home for the statue, citing public safety concerns and the use of state funds for the project. But the board promised to review options and come up with another plan.

Folt’s decision to remove the pedestal drew fire from the board’s chairman: “We are incredibly disappointed at this intentional action,” Harry Smith said in a statement. “It lacks transparency and it undermines and insults the board’s goal to operate with class and dignity.”

Folt acknowledged in August that the statue was a “source of frustration” but called its impromptu and violent removal “unlawful and dangerous.”

Foes of Silent Sam said he was a monument to white supremacy and slave owners, and Gov. Roy Cooper has called for removing Confederate monuments from public land across the state. But Sam’s supporters say the statue was a symbol of the region’s history that should not be forgotten.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HISTORY TOURIST The “Silent Sam” monument stood on the campus of the UNC at Chapel Hill until the statue was toppled in August.