America needs to continue removing hate symbolism
America, no matter how hard it tries to deny it, has a dark past, especially regarding minority races. Not only is this dark past depicted through historical records, it’s also reflected in everyday symbolism.
Last year we confronted this symbolism by abolishing many Confederate flags in public areas, but this movement seems to be slowing down.
In some southern states this year, lawmakers have even been considering new ways to protect demonstrations of Confederate pride. Proponents of maintaining the Confederate symbol say the choice honors heritage and history, but opponents argue the symbol encourages people to commit acts of racial violence.
Although hate symbolism is an important aspect of American history, we must refrain from using these symbols and instead learn from their offensive intentions to create a society that refuses to tolerate or promote discrimination.
Recently, Harvard took a major step by removing its seal because it resembles the family seal of wealthy slave owners. This announcement demonstrates the power young people possess when protesting an injustice.
As college students, we see the world through fresh pairs of eyes; we’re able to see a past of oppression and a future of possibility. Compared to bloodier protests, such as ones fighting police violence, especially reminiscing the one-year anniversary of Freddie Gray’s death, movements asking for symbol removal tend to use more peaceful methods to make their messages heard. When discrimination affects countless aspects of life, we need to encourage every effort, especially ones that are more diplomatic in nature, to combat prejudice.
The real question this dilemma presents is whether removing racist symbolism from public view is beneficial to equality goals or not. Some might question the influence these symbols truly have on our mindsets.
The Anti-Defamation League has collected an entire database worth of hate symbols that are meant to evoke feelings of hate or anger, or to spark fear and insecurity. The extensive database doesn’t even cover micro aggressions and racial slurs, though they’re equally hateful. Realizing the meaning behind public displays and words and refusing to tolerate their presence is crucial and necessary for equality goals to reach fruition.
If we choose to address symbols of the Confederacy and slavery, we should also address symbols of other minorities that tend to be overlooked when striving for racial equality.
One well-known example is the mascot of Washington, D.C.’s NFL team, the Redskins. Grassroots and congressional efforts have failed to make ground because the team’s owner is steadfastly against any changes to the name, despite its racist ties. If everyone can’t agree to take the necessary action to remove racist symbolism, we are left stagnant in the fight toward permanent change.
These efforts have been valuable to embracing a more open-minded mentality, but we still have much progress to make. Simply removing distasteful symbolism by no means removes American history or present day racial tension. Many even complain that America is becoming too sensitized and we must be too overly cautious in fear of offending anyone. In reality, we are beginning to recognize everyday micro aggressions and become more conscious and tolerant of others’ backgrounds.
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Removing hate symbolism is one step toward embracing a new age of appreciation and diversity. As America appears to symbolize more equality for all, we as Americans, individually and collectively, must make internal choices to express greater equality.
