On this fourth anniversary of the massacre in Charleston, we remember their sacrifice.
Removing symbols of hatred from public places of honor and distinction in communities of color has been an immense challenge.
Some proponents wish to take an incremental step by “contextualizing” these monuments rather than pursuing their immediate removal. They believe that the first step should be to include small historical markers around these monuments in order to share a contrarian view of what these monuments celebrate. Let’s keep it simple: these monuments celebrate white supremacy.
The Bloodshed Banners project seeks to contextualize Confederate Monuments with the scale necessary to underscore why these monuments should be removed.
This project offers an opportunity for an artistic installation to truly address the contradictions within these monuments and begs the question as to whether these monuments should be allowed to reign over the African descendants of slavery in communities that are predominately African-American in population.
So, “what exactly are the Bloodshed Banners?” The Bloodshed Banners are three-strands of red banners meant to symbolize the bloodshed and human suffering of millions of slaves, African descendants of slavery, and indigenous peoples of America in addition to the countless martyrs who were murdered for the price of our freedom.