Letter to Mike Rawlings about two overlooked Confederate monuments in Oak Lawn Park

I had a hand out about the overlooked monuments in Oak Lawn Park, formerly Robert E. Lee Park which I gave to the Task Force on Confederate monuments and there was not consideration of it.

So I sent a letter with the information to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. CLICK ON IMAGE TO SEE ENTIRE IMAGE.

With the letter was a 2 page document about the overlooked Confederate monuments in Oak Lawn Park. I have the document following this letter. Copies of this letter along with the documentation was sent to all 14 city council members.

                                                                                    October 15, 2017

                                                                                    Edward H. Sebesta

                                                                                    

                                                                                    edwardsebesta@gmail.com

Mayor Mike Rawlings

City of Dallas

Mayor and City Council City of Dallas

1500 Marilla St.

Dallas, TX 75201

Dear Hon. Rawlings:

I brought to the attention of the Task Force two Confederate monuments in Oak Lawn. I don’t see any reference to them in the Task Force on Confederate monuments final report.  In enclose the information which I gave them.

The whole claim of “Black Confederate soldiers” is a laughingstock in Civil War historical circles and among historians in general.

If we are going to go through the process of de-Confederating the city of Dallas I think we need to do a complete job.

Also, the retention of a “Black Confederate soldier” marker will make Dallas a laughingstock as a city that has such a monument and which can’t seem to really engage on the issues of race.

I hope you have these monuments removed. The fact that they use circumlocutions is no excuse for their retention.

                                                                                    Sincerely Yours,

                                                                                    Edward H. Sebesta

CC:

Office	Name	Address	Address
Mayor Pro Tem	Dwaine Caraway	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem	Adam Medrano	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 1 Council Member	Scott Griggs	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 3 Council Member	Casey Thomas II	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 5 Council Member	Rickey D. Callahan	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 6 Council Member	Omar Narvaez	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 7 Council Member	Kevin Felder	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 8 Council Member	Tennell Atkins	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 9 Council Member	Mark Clayton	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 10 Council Member	B. Adam McGough	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 11 Council Member	Lee Kleinman	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 12 Council Member	Sandy Greyson	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 13 Council Member	Jennifer Staubach Gates	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall
District 14 Council Member	Philip T. Kingston	Mayor and City Council	Dallas City Hall

This is the document I enclosed with the letter. 

TWO OVERLOOKED MONUMENTS TO CONFEDERATES IN OAKLAWN PARK

                                                                                        – Ed Sebesta 9/14/2017

There are two items in Oak Lawn Park which serve as monuments to Confederate soldiers.

       1) There is this monument to alleged Afro-Confederate soldiers in Oak Lawn Park.

The text in all capital letters reads:

THIS MEMORIAL WAS DEDICATED ON MAY 25, 1993 TO HONOR AND COMMEMORATE THE SACRIFICES OF AFRICAN – AMERICANS OF SOUTHERN HERITAGE WHO SO VALIANTLY SERVED IN THE CIVIL WAR.

The term “Southern Heritage” is to indicate persons of African ancestry who supported the Confederacy.

The whole myth of Confederate soldiers of African ancestry is a laughingstock among Civil War historians and this plaque makes Dallas a laughingstock. The fact that the Dallas Park & Recreational Dept. is involved with this and allowed this brings into question their participation in any review or proposal for Dallas parks. This is about 24 years ago, but it needs to be asked if the park system has progressed.

Click on images to see entire images. 

2

              2) There is this plaque for a fountain in Oak Lawn Park.

Click on images to see the entire image. 

The text in all capital letters (excluding the list of names) reads:

THIS FOUNTAIN WAS PRESENTED TO THE CITY OF DALLAS BY THE DALLAS SOUTHERN MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION ON MARCH TWENTY-SECOND, NINETEEN HUNDRED SEVENTY AS A MEMORIAL TO SOUTHERN HEROES OF ALL WARS

Though the Confederacy isn’t mentioned, the Confederacy is included with the phrase “ALL WARS” and asserts that these Confederate soldiers were “HEROES.”

It can also be seen why this Fountain has the appalling sectional restrictions to only “SOUTHERN HEROES.” If it was “AMERICAN HEROES” it would apply to those who for fought for America during the Civil War, i.e. union soldiers.

DISPOSITION:

1.       These monuments need to be removed.

2.      These monuments need to be in a museum. These plaques as well as the ones of the Robert E. Lee statue base in Lee Park shows how Dallas elites and the city accommodated the proponents of the Confederacy well into the very late 20^th century.

FURTHER NOTE:

Since these two items were missed by the Task Force, I would suggest that there be a review of whether all Confederate monuments, memorials, etc. have indeed been identified.