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After several months of prodding from the first African-American presiding officer of the Maryland General Assembly, the panel that controls the State House has voted to remove a plaque that paid tribute to the soldiers who fought on both sides of the Civil War.
The Civil War Centennial Commission plaque, located on the main level of the State House, was installed at the height of the U.S. civil rights struggle, in 1964, to mark the passing of 100 years from the start of the bloody conflict over slavery that threatened the nation鈥檚 survival.
Maryland fought on the union side but many whites were sympathetic to the South鈥檚 cause.
In installing the plaque more than 50 years, ago, the commission said it was not seeking to determine 鈥渨ho was right and who was wrong.鈥�
Rather, 鈥渋t seeks to pay tribute to those who fought and died, as well as the citizens who, during the civil war, tried to do their duty, as they saw it.鈥�
After House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) objected to the plaque last fall, the State House Trust voted 3-1 to buff out a Confederate flag.
But she renewed her objections to the plaque again last week in the wake of global protests 鈥� and calls for justice and social reforms 鈥� sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
鈥淭he past two weeks have reignited our national conversation about the systemic racial injustice that continues throughout the United States of America,鈥� Jones wrote.
鈥淭his plaque is not a symbol that belongs in our seat of government: the very place where Washington resigned his Commission to create our country; where we have passed monumental civil rights laws; and where we have stood together to work toward equality for every Marylander,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 again ask for a formal vote to remove this plaque.鈥�
Jones was elected speaker in May 2019, becoming the first African-American to preside over either chamber of the state legislature.
In an exchange of emails with members of the panel, Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore) sided with Jones.
鈥淭hank you for this timely, and necessary proposal,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淚 thank the Speaker for her leadership on this issue and vote in support of the removal of this plaque.鈥�
In an email last week, Lt. Gov. Boyd K. Rutherford (R), who serves as the Hogan administration鈥檚 representative on the panel, initially objected to the removal of the plaque.
鈥淎s I stated last year when this issue was first presented, I want to make sure visitors to the State House understand that Maryland was a slave state,鈥� wrote Rutherford, who is Black.
鈥淭hat many Marylanders fought to maintain that inhuman system 鈥� America鈥檚 original sin. I鈥檓 certain the Speaker agrees that the events of the past two weeks have highlighted the issue of racial injustice, and that it鈥檚 time for all of us, no matter what our race, age, gender or creed is, to look deeply within ourselves to acknowledge there鈥檚 work to be done.鈥�
鈥淭o build a better future, we must reckon with our past, not hide from it,鈥� Rutherford added. 鈥淓rasing our history just because it makes us uncomfortable harms the work we must do.鈥�
Laura Mears, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Maryland Historical Trust, Maryland鈥檚 State Historic Preservation Office, offered general support for Rutherford鈥檚 view.
鈥淩emoval of a plaque which speaks to the state鈥檚 division during the Civil War will not help us to cure the injuries caused by that division,鈥� she wrote.
鈥淚n my personal opinion, interpreting the plaque as a product of its time would be more instructive than seeking to simply erase an aspect of history that makes us uncomfortable.鈥�
But she added that her votes on the panel are 鈥渂ased on an understanding of how the proposed alterations will affect the historic significance and physical integrity of this landmark building.鈥�
From that perspective, she said, the removal of a plaque installed in 1964 鈥渨ill have little to no effect on the architectural fabric of the State House and will not diminish the outstanding historic significance of the building.鈥�
She then joined Jones and Ferguson in voting to remove the Civil War Commission plaque completely. Rutherford then withdrew his objections.
On Twitter on Monday, Jones thanked the panel for an 鈥渋mportant vote鈥� to remove this confederate-sympathizing plaque.鈥�
鈥淲e have made great strides to reflect the importance of African-Americans in our State鈥檚 history over the past year with the addition of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass statues, which more accurately reflect this time period,鈥� she added.
鈥淲hile this is a symbolic step in our efforts to create my systemic equality, it is an important one so that all Marylanders feel welcome in their State House.鈥�
