News Roundup

As the Daily Tar Heel reports, this week a group of protesters on UNC campus used ropes to pull down the controversial Confederate monument known as Silent Sam; the protesters then covered the statue in dirt before it was removed by heavy equipment from McCorkle Place.  Chancellor Carol Folt explained in a statement that the monument “has been divisive for years” but criticized the “unlawful and dangerous” act of vandalism.  Time magazine published a story about the history of the statue that recounts decades of protests involving Silent Sam and includes excerpts of the speech delivered at the dedication of the statue in 1913 by Julian Carr.  Carr’s full remarks, including a personal anecdote where he boasted of violently assaulting a black woman within 100 yards of the site of the monument, are available here.  Keep reading for more news. Silent Sam.  The News & Observer reports that the UNC Board of Governors has announced that it will hire an outside firm to investigate university and police actions with regard to the Silent Sam protest.  As that report explains, one member of the Board, Thom Goolsby, posted a video to You Tube raising questions about whether the response to the protest by campus police was adequate and whether criminal prosecution of those involved is forthcoming.  One person was arrested during the protest, though reports indicate that the arrest occurred prior to the toppling of the monument.  A statement from UNC leaders says that they have asked the SBI to assist in [...]