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Taylor Swift Says Tennessee's Confederate 'Villains Don't Deserve Statues' In Powerful Twitter Thread
Taylor Swift has been rather outspoken about politics since 2018, when she spoke out against then-candidate and now incumbent Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn via an Instagram post.
Swift, who came out in support of #BlackLivesMatter earlier this month, took to Twitter to identify problematic statues of confederate figures in the state of Tennessee—and she went all in.
Swift began by saying that "as a Tennessean," it made her "sick" that confederate statues, glorifying a five-year-period where the self-deemed Confederate States of America entered war with the United States over slavery , were still standing around her state.
As a Tennessean, it makes me sick that there are monuments standing in our state that celebrate racist historical figures who did evil things. Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forrest were DESPICABLE figures in our state history and should be treated as such.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020
She first focused on Carmack's statue, which was toppled at the beginning of June and for which some people are calling to be replaced.
Edward Carmack's statue was sitting in the state Capitol until it was torn down last week in the protests. The state of Tennessee has vowed to replace it.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020
FYI, he was a white supremacist newspaper editor who published pro-lynching editorials and incited the arson of the office of Ida B. Wells (who actually deserves a hero's statue for her pioneering work in journalism and civil rights).
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020
Replacing his statue is a waste of state funds and a waste of an opportunity to do the right thing.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020
And then Nathaniel Bedford Forrest, who was the first head of the KKK during the Civil War.
Then we get to this monstrosity. Nathan Bedford Forrest was a brutal slave trader and the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan who, during the Civil War, massacred dozens of black Union soldiers in Memphis. https://t.co/n2DiEt9F3P
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020
His statue is still standing and July 13th 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. Fingers crossed.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020
Swift then refocused on the big picture.
Taking down statues isn't going to fix centuries of systemic oppression, violence and hatred that black people have had to endure but it might bring us one small step closer to making ALL Tennesseans and visitors to our state feel safe - not just the white ones.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020
We need to retroactively change the status of people who perpetuated hideous patterns of racism from 'heroes' to 'villains.' And villains don't deserve statues.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020
I'm asking 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.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020
When you fight to honor racists, you show black Tennesseans and all of their allies where you stand, and you continue this cycle of hurt. You can't change history, but you can change this. 🙏
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 12, 2020
Swift's suggestions were met with widespread support.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) June 13, 2020
I love this song.
— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) June 13, 2020
losing racist fans pic.twitter.com/Rfcf2oef3M
— R. (@Deepbluereema) June 13, 2020
Statues & symbols communicate messages to current & future generations.
What messages do statues & symbols historically associated with racism & White Supremacy communicate? It's obvious.
This is the reason cleansing society of such imagery is so important.
— MURRAY (@murray_nyc) June 13, 2020
Swift has also publicly expressed her disdain for President Trump, who has a history of standing against the removal and destruction of Confederate statues.
Ugh thank you I hate driving by that dumb statue all the time
— Evan Bass (@ebassclinics) June 13, 2020
Taylor Swift ❤ pic.twitter.com/m2ehyj1RTE
— J.KM (@Luisjavie8) June 15, 2020
It's 2020 and NATHAN FOREST DRIVE is still a thing
— dev (@devon_butler13) June 16, 2020
Thank you @taylorswift13, your voice in this movement is so very important. - A Robert Lee who wants to do right in this world, or at least better than his Confederate ancestor.
PS. You're the best and I've seen you twice in concert. ❤️
— Rev. Rob Lee (@roblee4) June 12, 2020
Swift has taken several steps on the path to becoming an activist since 2018, and as such, has received some backlash.
Swift wrote in her first major political post against candidate Marsha Blackburn:
"I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country."
"I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent."
As the White House made some very half-hearted steps toward police reform while reinforcing that they were against removal of Confederate statues, it looks like Swift has her work cut out for her.