During National Movement to Denounce Racism and Racial Injustices, Representatives Adriano Espaillat and Dwight Evans Reiterate Their Call to Ban Federal Funding for Confederate Symbols

The Espaillat, Evans No Funding for Confederate Symbols Act legislation not only would require the renaming of any military installations named after Confederate generals, but would prohibit Federal funds from being used to create, maintain, or display any Confederate symbol on Federal public land – including highways, parks, Federal buildings, streets, or any other Federal property.
NEW YORK, NY – Representatives Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Dwight Evans (PA-3) reintroduced their No Funding for Confederate Symbols Act, legislation that would prohibit Federal funds from being used to create, maintain, or display, as applicable, any Confederate symbol on Federal public land, including any highway, park, Federal building, military base, street, or other Federal property. During the recent national movement to denounce racism and correct racial injustices committed against African Americans and persons of the color, Reps. Espaillat and Evans are urging their Democratic colleagues to support legislation that would prohibit federal funding for symbols that uphold the Confederacy and Confederate Symbols of hate.
"The Confederate Battle Flag remains one of the most intractable symbols from the darkest chapter in U.S. history representing racism, slavery, the oppression of African Americans. We first introduced our bill as a response to the violence and death that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, and with the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the national movement created by his murder, it remains critical that we combat these racist symbols rooted in white-supremacist ideologies that memorialize the white-nationalist screed. These sentiments are manifest in Confederate symbols that remain present and their continued existence at military bases, parks, streets and buildings only further inflame our country as inspiration for those who seek to use their example to stoke division and fear," said Rep. Espaillat. "America cannot hold on to its legacy of hate when citizens around the country are demanding change. The Confederate symbol is a stain of hate, white supremacy, and divisiveness and its presence in American history should not be celebrated. We cannot allow these symbols to continue to thrive and our bill cuts off federal funding of these symbols at the source."
"The Confederate flag continues to be used to intimidate minorities and is strongly associated with hate and violence stoked by racists and white supremacists. Americans are perfectly capable of learning about our history without continuing to give places of honor to symbols of hate. The federal government needs to catch up to NASCAR. It is an insult to African Americans – and all Americans – to have our tax dollars used to create, maintain or display Confederate symbols on federal property. It's been over 150 years since the end of the Civil War -- these symbols belong in museums, not in places of honor on federal property," said Rep. Evans.
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