Rep. Gallego Supports Call for Removal of Confederate Monuments in Arizona
Washington, DC – On Monday, African American leaders in Arizona called for the removal of six Confederate monuments across the state. Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) issued the following statement in support:
"Confederate monuments are not innocent acknowledgements of the past – instead, they are symbols of hate and intolerance, painful reminders of a terrible time in our nation's history.
"These symbols of the Confederacy are embraced by racist groups and individuals like the Ku Klux Klan and Dylann Roof, who murdered 9 people at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. We cannot legitimize these groups and their hateful acts by preserving and honoring these anachronistic tributes to a time when African Americans were forced into slavery and then suffered the injustices of Jim Crow.
"The Confederacy is a stain upon American history that should not be celebrated. Governor Ducey should immediately take steps to remove these monuments from our state."