courtesy of Instagram/@taylorswiftMusic / NewsMusic / NewsTaylor Swift calls for the removal of monuments to racists in Tennessee‘When you fight to honor racists, you show black Tennesseans and all of their allies where you stand’ShareLink copied ✔️June 13, 2020June 13, 2020TextThom Waite Taylor Swift has joined worldwide calls for monuments to racist historical figures to be removed, specifically targeting those in her home state, Tennessee. “As a Tennessean, it makes me sick,” she writes in a recent Instagram post, about the statues still standing in the state capitol. The singer goes on to point out specific monuments, such as that of Nathan Bedford Forrest: “the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan who, during the Civil War, massacred dozens of black Union soldiers.” “Taking down statues isn’t going to fix centuries of systemic oppression, violence and hatred that black people have had to endure,” Swift adds, “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.” “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’s call to remove these monuments echoes the effort of Black Lives Matter activists worldwide. Statues of figures including Christopher Columbus and Jefferson Davis – president of the pro-slavery Confederate States – have been toppled in the US during nationwide anti-racism protests. Christopher Columbus statue outside Minnesota State Capitol pulled down by the indigenous community. You love to see it. pic.twitter.com/u1KUqSxtKg— Hasan Patel 🌹 (@CorbynistaTeen) June 11, 2020 In the UK, a statue of the English slave trader Edward Colston was thrown in Bristol harbour June 7, and a monument to Churchill was painted with a message calling him a racist. This weekend, far-right groups have gathered in London to “defend” such statues from being defaced. Read Taylor Swift’s full post below. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MORE‘Silence is punk as fuck’: Frost Children and Ninajirachi go head-to-head‘Fast, angry, chaotic’: The story behind the Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter’ videoMerrellMerrell 1TRL trades the trail for Shoreditch to launch Moab Slide Woven‘There’s been tears’: RZA on the final days of Wu-Tang ClanWhat went down at the beabadoobee Dazed cover signing Kim Gordon selects: What to listen to, watch and read7 of beabadoobee’s greatest collabsPhotos from the Universal Music’s BRIT Awards afterparty in ManchesterPrecious Renee Tucker, the Solange-approved pianist going viral on TikTokK-pop disruptor Effie: ‘Conservatives usually hate my music’ On the funk line: 7 young Brazilians speak on the future of baile funk Tems knows the true secret to happinessEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy