Friend,

In 2015, the horrific, racist killing of nine Black members of the
Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, forced Americans
to reckon with the hateful history behind the Confederate flag, which
was embraced by the shooter. This sparked a nationwide movement to
remove Confederate monuments, flags and other symbols from public
spaces. In response, the SPLC created Whose Heritage?
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, a project dedicated to creating a comprehensive database of
Confederate symbols on public lands.

For the past six years, Whose Heritage? has tracked the removal and
relocation of these Confederate symbols, and the data shows
we're making strong progress.

Six years after the Charleston church shooting, we have documented the
removal

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of more than 300 public Confederate symbols, including 170 monuments.

Following the Charleston shooting, South Carolina officials acted
first, passing legislation to remove the Confederate flag from the
State House grounds, where it had flown since 1962. However, the South
Carolina Heritage Act ensures that no symbols can be removed
in that state despite efforts led by community groups.

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New data from the SPLC also shows that more than 1,895 Confederate
symbols are still publicly present in the U.S.; 692 of those symbols
are monuments, many of them prominently located at county courthouses
and town squares. In addition to monuments, statues, plaques and
markers, the overall number includes government buildings, schools,
parks, counties, cities, military bases and streets and highways named
after Confederate figures.

Although our country has steadily achieved new milestones in the fight
to remove Confederate monuments and symbols, there is still
significant work to be done. You can learn more about steps you can
take to help remove monuments in your community by viewing our Whose
Heritage? Action Guide.

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In solidarity,

The Southern Poverty Law Center

P.S. New episodes of our podcast Sounds Like Hate explore the stories
of community leaders who led the charge to remove Confederate
monuments in their communities. Listen and subscribe here.
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Southern Poverty Law Center
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