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Taylor Swift called on Tennessee politicians to take down statues that she said symbolize “hideous patterns of racism.”
In a statement posted to her Instagram account on Friday, the pop star asked the Capitol Commission and the Tennessee Historical Commission to “please consider the implications of how hurtful it would be to continue fighting for these monuments,” some of which commemorate the work of members of the Ku Klux Klan and Confederate soldiers, according to The Tennessean.
“As a Tennessean, it makes me sick that there are monuments standing in our state that celebrate racist historical figures who did evil things,” Swift wrote. “Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forrest were DESPICABLE figures in our state history and should be treated as such.”
Swift stated that the statue of Cormack, who she described as a “white supremacist newspaper editor,” should not be replaced at the state Capitol. She declared, “Replacing his statue is a waste of state funds and a waste of an opportunity to do the right thing.”
In addition, the 30-year-old expressed support for legislation that would enable the removal of the statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a founder of the Ku Klux Klan and notorious slave trader. “His statue is still standing and July 13 is ‘Nathan Bedford Forrest Day.’ Due to social pressure, the state is trying to overrule this, and Tennesseans might no longer have to stomach it,” she stated. “Fingers crossed.”
She recognized that the legislators and lawmakers “can’t change history,” but she said that they can “change the status of people who perpetuated hideous patterns of racism from ‘heroes’ to ‘villains.'”
Swift concluded her message by stating: “Villains don’t deserve statues.”
In the past, the singer used to be criticized for not using her platform to promote her political beliefs. However, in recent years, the starlet has used her voice to encourage voting and to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
On Tuesday, Swift told her followers, “Racial injustice has been ingrained deeply into local and state governments, and changes MUST be made there. In order for policies to change, we need to elect people who will fight against police brutality and racism of any kind. #BlackLivesMatter.” She went on to share a recent article written by former President Barack Obama, which described how people can change policy at state and local levels.
To learn how to take action and get involved with the Black Lives Matter movement, please click here.