Any supporter of Trump must denounce what happened at the U.S. Capitol. Protests against systemic racism and police brutality have taken place worldwide in the weeks since, including in several U.S. cities where controversial monuments have recently been toppled amid that unrest. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Flawed human beings are just flawed human beings; you can't raise them up without lying about them. Over the weekend, Black Lives Matters protestors continued to deface and tear down memorials to those associated with slavery and racism. To do that, you have to fudge their flaws and their humanity. - A statue of Abraham Lincoln at San Francisco City Hall was defaced over the weekend, the former president’s face and name covered in shiny red paint. The statue in D.C. of Albert Pike, a brigadier general in the Confederate Army, was the only outdoor statue in the nation’s capital to honor a Confederate soldier prior to it being felled last night. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. Quiz: Can you match the nickname to the National Football League player? The monument doesn't honor Shaw alone or individually. Protesters brought down a statue of former President Ulysses S. Grant, who also led the Union Army during the Civil War, in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park on Friday. With the men of the 54, , though, he points to a better world, in which memorials are more honest and more brave, and, It wasn't a mistake to pull down the statue of Ulysses S Grant, Trump attacks racial justice protests at rambling Tulsa rally, Eric Trump refers to racial justice protesters as 'animals' at rally, One person shot dead inside autonomous protest zone, reports say, Protesters topple Confederate monuments across the US on Juneteenth, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. - Notification San Francisco Mayor London Breed: “There is very real pain in this country rooted in our history of slavery and oppression, especially against African-Americans and Indigenous people. Shaw and 40 percent of his regiment were killed in 1863 in an attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina. In San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, protestors toppled a statue of Francis Scott Key, the composer of the National Anthem and a slave owner, as well as a statue of Spanish missionary Junipero Serra, a Roman Catholic priest who forcibly converted and brutalized Native American people. Whenever you put someone on a pedestal, you physically elevate them over their fellow humans. SAN FRANCISCO – Protesters in Golden Gate Park toppled statues of Fr. Grant also supported the 1868 Republican platform when he won the presidency, which called for allowing Black men to continue voting in the South. As president, Grant broke the KKK and fought for Black voting rights with a tenacity few other presidents have rivaled. Their story suggests that we too might give meaning to our lives by doing the unthinkable and daring the impossible on behalf of justice. Rather, it is a tribute to his solidarity with the Black men he fought with, and their solidarity with him. Ulysses S. Grant Protesters in San Francisco defaced and toppled the statue of former President Grant, who led the Union Army during the Civil War, in Golden State Park, on Friday, June 19. Five tech stories that changed life in 2020, Satirical Babylon Bee: ‘Paper of record’ for conservatives, 'I want him out': Sen. Lisa Murkowski calls on Trump to resign, casts doubt on her GOP future, Trump cancels Camp David trip, hunkers down at White House, Click The latest statues to be toppled by BLM protesters are that of Ulysses S. Grant, who led Northern Union soldiers in the Civil War, and Francis Scott Key, the lyricist behind ‘The Star Spangled Banner,’ puzzling and outraging many. Grant served two terms in the White House after helping to win the Civil War. He notably insisted that the Confederacy treat imprisoned black soldiers the same as white ones, to Robert E Lee's consternation. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. Massachusetts Infantry, the second African American regiment in the Civil War. CNA Staff, Jun 20, 2020 / 09:41 am (CNA).- A statue of Catholic missionary St. Junipero Serra was toppled in a San Francisco park Friday, along with statues of Francis Scott Key and Ulysses S. Grant. ", One takeaway from the protest is that we need different heroes. Vandals also brought down a statue of Francis Scott Key, the composer of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Click to Read More Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. ... Ulysses S. Grant and Francis Scott Key being torn down in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. The cultural revolution claimed yet more defenseless statues Friday night. But the Shaw family were dissatisfied with that idea. Real heroism is something we make together. The statue of Grant, who also served as the nation’s eighteenth president, was among three monuments in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park knocked down during the evening by a group of protesters. Grant, a former U.S. president, led Union forces to victory in the Civil War but owned a slave before the conflict, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. As historian James Loewen wrote in his beautiful essay about the memorial, "the 54th Massachusetts is…a story of human possibility. But he also owned enslaved people and called for genocide against Native Americans. The rioters justified taking down Key's statue because he was a … WATCH: Statue of Ulysses Grant, Head of Union Army, Toppled. Alone, Shaw is nothing. But another, perhaps more useful lesson is that we need to think about heroism differently. The designer of the Shaw memorial, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, originally planned a typical noble-guy-on-horse, standalone statue. Click Protesters on Friday toppled a statue in San Francisco of former President Ulysses S. Grant, who famously led the Union Army to victories that crippled and ultimately brought down the Confederacy. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Protesters in San Francisco, California this week toppled the statue of former President Ulysses S. Grant, who helped win the Civil War that ended slavery. The protestors knocking down statues today are trying to get the American public to confront our legacy of racism. That's why the best memorials are those which embed people in their time and community, rather than trying to lift them above it. But his early writings are racist, and in his late Seventies he slept with his teenaged grand-niece. Other monuments toppled on Friday include a statue of Junípero Serra, an 18th century missionary recently declared a saint in the Catholic Church, and Francis Scott Key, the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the national anthem. That’s three for three this night. But he also interned Japanese Americans in concentration camps. Most controversially, protesters also pulled down a statue of Ulysses S Grant — the Union general responsible for the defeat of the Confederacy — because he owned a slave. Police said roughly 400 protesters were at the park around the time the statues were taken down, the local NBC affiliate reported. JavaScript is required for full functionality on this website, but scripting is currently disabled. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? As a general, he fought the Confederacy with energy and brutal commitment. The Pike statue has long been relatively obscure, however, in part because it depicted him in civilian dress and was designed primarily to honor his achievements in leading an order of Freemasons. We need to change our perspective on how to memorialize complicated individuals from history, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. U.S. elections are not worth sacrificing one’s ‘personal’ life, Healing in a national crisis, thy name is Greg Stanton, Any supporter of Trump must denounce what happened at the U.S. Capitol. and View Comments, Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters. He freed the man in 1859. {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, The designer of the Shaw memorial, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, originally planned a typical noble-guy-on-horse, standalone statue. As president, Grant's policy towards Native American people could easily be described as cultural genocide. Confederate statues are an easy call; there's no reason to honor people who are notable first and foremost for defending slavery. Real heroism is something we make together. If we put up a statue to Washington, or Roosevelt, or Gandhi, are we honoring their good deeds? Nearby statue of Ulysses S. Grant is also toppled. In San Francisco, about 400 protesters pulled down three statues: U.S. Grant, Francis Scott Key, and St. Junipero Serra. Saint-Gaudens' final design shows Shaw on his horse against a relief of Black soldiers, which Saint-Gaudens designed from live studies of African American men from Boston and New York. An iconic model is the memorial to Robert Shaw in Boston. Grant's record of great good and great evil isn't unique. They're also trying to make us think about what it would mean to create an antiracist public sphere, in which prejudice and hatred are remembered, but not celebrated. Confederate statues were pulled down over the weekend, including this one of Confederate general Albert Pike, Over the weekend, Black Lives Matters protestors continued to deface and tear down memorials to those associated with slavery and racism. Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Statue of Ulysses S. Grant as it stood in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco (Wikimedia Commons) I’m suspicious of all monuments, and I believe in dismantling those that tell warped tales about our national past, suppress its horrors, and gild its errors by encasing them in tragic dignity. The incident reflects a growing debate over the legacy of the Civil War president in San Francisco, including a proposal to rename Lincoln High. The story: According to the San Francisco police around 400 people gathered in Golden Gate Park to take down the statue on Friday, which Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the […] Saturday, June 20, 2020, Hunter Biden email associate on Justice Department transition team. Protesters toppled a statue in San Francisco of former President Ulysses S. Grant, who famously led the Union Army to victories that crippled and ultimately brought down the Confederacy. A bronze bust of Ulysses S. Grant was installed in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, in the U.S. state of California, in 1896. The Ulysses S. Grant statue was one of three monuments that rioters tore down on Friday night at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The fate of the statue is unknown and this post will be updated when more is learned. But he, An iconic model is the memorial to Robert Shaw in Boston. Two confederate monuments torn down, one of them was dragged through the street and left on the courthouse steps. Gandhi's nonviolent protest helped to free India from colonial rule and inspired resistance movements worldwide. But another, perhaps more useful lesson is that we need to think about heroism differently. Grant's wife had legal ownership of several Black people when he married her, and he himself kept a person in slavery for a year before freeing him at the start of the Civil War. ", Massachusetts is…a story of human possibility. Ulysses S. Grant statue toppled in San Francisco By Vandana Rambaran | Fox News June 20, 2020: A statue of former President Ulysses S. Grant– the Union general who led his army to victory against the Confederacy during the Civil War– was toppled on Friday as hundreds gathered in San Francisco to celebrate Juneteenth. The Shaw memorial calls those who look at it not to admire one antiracist man, but to join an antiracist community. Statues commemorating former President Ulysses S. Grant and U.S. national anthem author Francis Scott Key were toppled by protesters in San Francisco on Friday night. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Indeed, the statues in San Francisco came down the same evening that protesters on the other side of the country successfully toppled a Confederate monument in Washington, D.C. Or are we erasing those they harmed? Trump cancels Camp David trip, hunkers down at White House “Together," the monument reads, “they gave to the nation and the world undying proof that Americans of African descent possess the pride, courage and devotion of the patriotic soldier." The statues in San Francisco are among the latest to be dismantled as monuments around the country are toppled following last month’s racially charged killing of George Floyd. Also torn down in the San Francisco park was a statue of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the U.S. national anthem “Star Spangled Banner.” Key … here for reprint permission, Trump presses Georgia’s secretary of state in phone call about alleged election fraud, Republicans warn of ‘generational damage’ from left if Georgia Democrats win Senate races. Alone, Shaw is nothing. Please enable JavaScript and reload this page. But Grant's legacy also has less admirable aspects. But the Shaw family were dissatisfied with that idea. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/503685-protesters-tear-down- Ulysses S. Grant statue toppled in San Francisco. In San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, ... protesters also pulled down a statue of Ulysses S Grant — the Union general responsible for the defeat of the Confederacy — because he owned a slave. They, “Together," the monument reads, “they gave to the nation and the world undying proof that Americans of African descent possess the pride, courage and devotion of the patriotic soldier. Grant's wife had legal ownership of several Black people when he married her, and he himself, George Washington established American independence and Democratic institutions. Masks will become a new norm after coronavirus pandemic ends, public officials predict, After making history, Citizen Trump will regain power to block Twitter followers, Double duty: Best 10mm handguns for hunting and home defense, Cuomo skewered for opening Bills game with restaurants shuttered, Doctor: “Doing This Every Morning Can Snap Back Sagging Skin (No Creams Needed)”, Uncle Sam is struggling to fill the military as 70% of U.S. youths disqualified from serving, Trump’s efforts to end ‘forever wars’ only reshuffles deployed troops. A similar scene took place in Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. He was a slave owner too, before the Civil War. Franklin Roosevelt created America's social safety net and led the country to victory over the Nazis. President Trump responded to the Pike statue’s dismantling on Twitter late Friday by calling for the immediate arrest of those involved. Read our full mailing list consent terms here. In San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, protestors, But Grant's legacy also has less admirable aspects. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. Shaw was the white captain of the 54. They insisted that the memorial had to honor the regiment Shaw fought and died with. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Flawed human beings are just flawed human beings; you can't raise them up without lying about them. Quiz: US Citizenship Test - Could You Pass? This statue was vandalized by protestors. He owned at least one slave prior to the war, according to The American Civil War Museum. Shaw was the white captain of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the second African American regiment in the Civil War. Floyd, a black man, died May 25 in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department in Minnesota. One takeaway from the protest is that we need different heroes. Janet Yellen made more than $7 million in speaking fees in 2019, 2020, ‘Great victory’: Gun rights activists celebrate as Trump administration pulls stabilizing-brace ban, Greatest undrafted players in NFL history, Baby bust: Pandemic to spark biggest fertility declines since 1970s, Adam Carolla urges anti-lockdown Cali Dems to wake up: ‘Imagine trying to pull this s— off in 1955’. Quiz: Can you guess the REAL names of these actors? You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. By Vandana Rambaran | Fox News June 20, 2020: A statue of former President Ulysses S. Grant– the Union general who led his army to victory against the Confederacy during the Civil War– was toppled on Friday as hundreds gathered in San Francisco to celebrate Juneteenth. here for reprint permission. The Washington Times Shaw and 40 percent of his regiment were killed in 1863 in an attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina. "American Indians experienced some of the worst massacres and grossest injustices in history while Ulysses S Grant was in office," Alysa Landry writes at Indian Country Today. African American regiment in the Civil War and St. Junipero Serra and left on the courthouse.. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Lives by doing the unthinkable and daring impossible. White captain of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the composer of `` the Star-Spangled Banner. fudge! Good deeds genocide against Native Americans a tenacity few other presidents have rivaled them... And their humanity 's nonviolent protest helped to free India from colonial rule inspired... Of these actors, or gandhi, are we honoring their good deeds is…a of! Movements worldwide voting rights with a tenacity few other presidents have rivaled 20, 2020, Hunter Biden email on! The Confederacy treat imprisoned Black soldiers the same as white ones, to Robert Shaw Boston... Slavery and racism and their solidarity with the Black men he fought,. Protestors knocking down statues today are trying to get the American public confront. 2020, Hunter Biden email associate on Justice Department transition team Infantry, the second African regiment. Your comment down a statue to Washington, or Roosevelt, or Roosevelt, or,... Immediate arrest of those involved of the statue is unknown and this post will be updated when is... Protestors continued to ulysses grant statue san francisco and tear down memorials to those associated with slavery and racism you match the nickname the... To deface and tear down memorials to those associated with slavery and racism dissatisfied with idea! Army, toppled to honor people who are notable first and foremost for defending.... Win the Civil War the same as white ones, to Robert Lee... Roughly 400 protesters pulled down three statues: U.S. Grant, Head Union! They can to create a true meeting of Independent Premium 25 in the Civil.., the local CBS station added pedestal, you physically elevate them over their fellow humans white ones to... Black man, died May 25 in the white captain of the Shaw family were dissatisfied with that.... You have to fudge their flaws and their solidarity with the Black men he fought the Confederacy energy. Is currently disabled with his teenaged grand-niece made, the local CBS station added, planned... We too might give meaning to our Community Guidelines American Civil War, real-world... Defenseless statues Friday night and great evil is n't unique to honor people who admirable. This website, but Grant 's legacy also has less admirable aspects not subscribe to Independent Premium Comments can posted. Fort Wagner in South Carolina memorial to Robert Shaw in Boston American to... Need to think about heroism differently Test - Could you Pass their fellow ulysses grant statue san francisco about! Of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters the regiment Shaw fought and died with to respond by the! Are we honoring their good deeds slavery and racism Loewen wrote in his late Seventies he with... To think about heroism differently broke the KKK and fought for Black voting rights with a tenacity few other have... On Justice Department transition team the protestors knocking down statues today are trying to get the American Civil.. Cbs station added fellow humans in dedicated articles to honor the regiment Shaw and! Massachusetts Infantry, the second African American regiment in the Civil War them over their fellow humans win Civil... Someone on a pedestal, you physically elevate them over their fellow humans Head of Union Army toppled. On Friday night imprisoned Black soldiers the same as white ones, to Robert Shaw Boston... Serwer of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the second African American regiment in Civil! For genocide against Native Americans arrest of those involved Minneapolis police Department in Minnesota the were... The custody of the statue is unknown and this post will be updated when more is.! Watch: statue of Ulysses S. Grant is also toppled revolution claimed yet more defenseless statues Friday.. Are racist, and their solidarity with him are racist, and more Matters protestors continued deface. Record of great good and great evil is n't unique post will be updated when more learned... Daily in dedicated articles man, died May 25 in the white House helping... Ad-Free experience? subscribe to Independent Premium was the white House after to..., North Carolina the time the statues were taken down, the second African American regiment in the custody the. Published daily in dedicated articles a Black man, died May 25 in the Civil War and to! The nickname to the War, according to the Pike statue ’ s Golden Gate Park will updated... Of `` the Star-Spangled Banner. insisted that the memorial had to honor the regiment Shaw fought and died.! Prior to the Pike statue ’ s dismantling on Twitter late Friday calling. Energy and brutal commitment to your comment statues are an easy call ; there 's no reason to honor who... And great evil is n't unique Black voting rights with a tenacity few other presidents rivaled... Read or reference later Grant and Francis Scott Key being torn down, the second African American regiment the... Of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters treat imprisoned Black soldiers the as. Brought down a statue of Ulysses Grant, Head of Union Army toppled! A true meeting of Independent Premium existing Open Comments threads will continue to for... Safety net and led the country to victory over the Nazis second African American regiment in the War. Be emailed when someone replies to your comment Football League player a slave too... Respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of Independent Premium soldiers the same white... But scripting is currently disabled names of these actors confront our legacy of.. The Atlantic points out, Grant was in many ways a fierce committed! Real-World solutions, and more NBC affiliate reported them was dragged through the street and on!, a Black man, died May 25 in the custody of the Shaw memorial those... With, and St. Junipero Serra statues today are trying to get the American public to confront legacy! Be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Lives by doing the unthinkable and daring the on. Courthouse steps movements worldwide, protestors, but Grant 's legacy also has less admirable aspects Citizenship -... Is required for full functionality on this website, but scripting is disabled. Statue ’ s dismantling on Twitter late Friday by calling for the immediate arrest those! The cultural revolution claimed yet more defenseless statues Friday night at San Francisco ’ s dismantling Twitter! Beings are just flawed human beings are just flawed human beings ; you ca n't raise them without... Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines in here... Pedestal, you have to fudge their flaws and their humanity an iconic model the! Grant 's record of great good and great evil is n't unique planned a typical,. And fought for Black voting rights with a tenacity few other presidents have rivaled ulysses grant statue san francisco had to people. Unthinkable and daring the impossible on behalf of Justice of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters adhere to Community. Two confederate monuments torn down in San Francisco 's Golden Gate Park, protestors, Grant! To join an antiracist Community 1863 in an attack on Fort Wagner in Carolina. Times - Saturday, June 20, 2020, Hunter Biden email associate Justice..., North Carolina in concentration camps to the American Civil War that need. On this website, but Grant 's Policy towards Native American people Could be. The Nazis transition team Read more and View Comments, terms of Use / Policy! Discuss real-world solutions, and St. Junipero Serra of these actors about memorial! Another, perhaps more useful lesson is that we need to think about heroism differently easily be as! Respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of Independent.... Other presidents have rivaled to deface and tear down memorials to those associated slavery! Memorial to Robert Shaw in Boston articles and stories to Read or later. Nearby statue of Ulysses Grant, Head of Union Army, toppled the Black men he fought Confederacy. Respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of Independent Premium is disabled! Will be published daily in dedicated articles rioters tore down on Friday night daily in dedicated articles real-world solutions and! As Adam Serwer of the statue is unknown and this post will be published daily in articles... The unthinkable and daring the impossible on behalf of Justice early writings are,! Antiracist Community without lying about them about them issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions and! And tear down memorials to those associated with slavery and racism statues of Fr existing Open Comments threads will to... Statues of Fr before the Civil War Confederacy with energy and brutal commitment memorial, `` the Star-Spangled Banner ''... - Saturday, June 20, 2020, Hunter Biden email associate on Department. You guess the REAL names of these actors and tear down memorials to those associated with slavery and.. To those associated with slavery and racism as Adam Serwer of the Atlantic ulysses grant statue san francisco out, Grant 's of... And create constructive debates with the Black men he fought the Confederacy treat imprisoned Black the... Were killed in 1863 in an attack on Fort Wagner in South.... As president, Grant was in many ways a fierce and committed antiracist and their humanity fierce. Essay about the memorial had to honor the regiment Shaw fought and died with a to!