AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas State Preservation Board voted Friday to remove a Confederate plaque from inside the Texas State Capitol building.
Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dennis Bonnen, along with other board members, unanimously voted to remove the "Children of the Confederacy Creed" plaque from the northeast Capitol where it hung for approximately 60 years.
Texas State Representative Eric Johnson (D-Dallas) called to remove the plaque more than one year ago. On Sunday, he confirmed the plaque had officially been removed from the Capitol's wall.
"This particular fight is over today, and I'm happy about that,” Rep. Johnson said on Friday.
He and several others argued that the plaque is incorrect since it reads that the Civil War was "not a rebellion, nor was its underlying cause to sustain slavery."
"Sixty years -- that plaque was up 60 years in our Capitol, and it was false the day it was up. It never should have gone up in the first place,” Rep. Johnson said.
There were a few people at the State Preservation Board meeting who have asked the members to leave the plaque where it is.
"I believe it is important to keep all of the historical plaques, monuments, memorials, paintings and so forth in the Capitol,” Martha Hartzog said.
Hartzog has lived in Austin more than 40 years and believes the plaque can be a “teaching moment.”
"We should put explanatory plaques on all those monuments and memorials explaining the history on why they were put up there and what the current thinking is today about them,” Hartzog said.
A representative for the State Preservation Board told KVUE they don’t know where it will go, but are actively working on a plan.
Rep. Johnson sent an updated request to Texas State Preservation Board Executive Director Rod Welsh to remove the plaque due to factual errors in November 2018.
"It really just tells some pretty bold lies in clear text," Rep. Johnson said. "Who can say that the Civil War wasn't a rebellion when we call the people who participated, and they call themselves, the people who participated in the war, 'rebels?'"
The "Children of the Confederacy Creed: is stated on the plaque and says:
"BECAUSE WE DESIRE TO PERPETUATE, IN LOVE AND HONOR, THE HEROIC DEEDS OF THOSE WHO ENLISTED IN THE CONFEDERATE ARMY, AND UPHELD ITS FLAG THROUGH FOUR YEARS OF WAR, WE, THE CHILDREN OF THE SOUTH, HAVE UNITED IN AN ORGANIZATION CALLED 'CHILDREN OF THE CONFEDERACY,' IN WHICH OUR STRENGTH, ENTHUSIASM, AND LOVE OF JUSTICE CAN EXERT ITS INFLUENCE."
"WE, THEREFORE, PLEDGE OURSELVES TO PRESERVE PURE IDEALS; TO HONOR OUR VETERANS; TO STUDY AND TEACH THE TRUTHS OF HISTORY(ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OF WHICH IS, THAT THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES WAS NOT A REBELLION, NOR WAS ITS UNDERLYING CAUSE TO SUSTAIN SLAVERY), AND TO ALWAYS ACT IN A MANNER THAT WILL REFLECT HONOR UPON OUR NOBLE AND PATRIOTIC ANCESTORS."
"ERECTED BY TEXAS DIVISION
CHILDREN OF THE CONFEDERACY
AUGUST 7, 1959"
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