CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – University of North Carolina students held a peaceful protest on Thursday still angry over how the Board of Governors handled the Silent Sam issue.
- UNC students protested the Silent Sam agreement
- They can't believe the board gave Sons of Confederate Veterans a $2.5 million trust fund for the statue
- Students are concerned about future race relations
The students still can’t believe the board handed over Silent Sam to the N.C. Sons of Confederate Veterans along with a $2.5 million trust fund for the Confederate statue.
The students are concerned about that, but they are also concerned about the future.
“So it’s not about what they can do about this situation. It’s about what they can do in the future where ultimately we need more protection for students of color. We need more resources allocated to students of color,” UNC freshman Julia Clark said.
The protest began where the statue once stood and proceeded to the South Building.
UNC Interim Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz responded to comments about the trust fund settlement through a university statement.
"No state-appropriated funds, tuition dollars, student fees or current unrestricted gifts from donors were used that would have funded scholarships, centers or academic programs. I know many of you oppose the payment to the charitable trust and object to the SCV displaying the monument anywhere. I understand, appreciate and empathize with those sentiments," Guskiewicz said.
Guskiewicz hopes UNC and its students can move on.
"I now want to focus on our shared values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and I will continue to reject and condemn those individuals or groups who seek to divide us. We have a lot of work to do to thoroughly address and reconcile with our past," Guskiewicz said in the statement.
Some of the protesters plan to attend the December 13 Board of Governors meeting.