Tens of thousands are now flooding the internet with a new petition to replace a confederate monument in South Carolina with a monument to legendary actor Chadwick Boseman, who tragically died at the age of 43 from cancer this past Friday.
Boseman was born and raised in Anderson, SC and “spent his life uplifting the stories of Black Americans both real and fictional.” He’s best known for portraying inspirational historical figures including James Brown, Jackie Robinson, and Thurgood Marshall, and most recently his award-winning portrayal of fictional Wakanda King T’Challa in the movie “Black Panther”. He’s also invested heavily in dozens of charities around Anderson and regularly spoke at his Alma Mater, Howard University.
The confederate statue the petition seeks to replace (and relocate it to a local museum) stands in front of the Anderson County Courthouse. It was erected in 1902 with the inscription, “The World shall yet decide, in Truth’s clear, far-off light, that the soldiers who wore the gray, and died with Lee, were in the right.”
It has been the stage for many protests and confederate rallies over the past few years.
Over 63,000 people have now signed the petition and 54,000 people signed another similar petition as of Thursday afternoon.
Some of the most popular comments on the petition include:
“The statue in downtown Anderson is a hateful disgrace to our loving community. Chadwick Boseman would be a perfect replacement monument because he represents Anderson’s core values.” – Alexandria Bagwell
“I lived in Anderson for 4 years, during which Black Panther showed in theaters. Boseman did more to unite people in Anderson than any Confederate solider could have done in a lifetime. One stands for divide, the other brought unity. Ultimately, unity is what we should be aiming for.” – Molly Holcombe
“Chadwick Boseman was a true Anderson hero. He made me proud of my hometown and inspired me always pursue my wildest dreams. This is the very least we can do to honor him.” – Erin Speed
What do you think about the idea?