July 1, 2020

The Honorable Governor, State of 1700 West Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85007

Dear Governor Ducey:

In August 2017, after the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Arizona Preservation Foundation requested that the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission (AHAC) meet to review, discuss, and recommend to the proper authorities the removal of Confederate memorials on Arizona public land or those maintained by public funding. State Representative Reginald Bolding and several Arizona civil rights organizations also called upon your Administration and the State Legislature to support their removal. Unfortunately, nothing was done.

Three years later, after yet another senseless killing of an African-American and the subsequent nationwide demonstrations seeking the elimination of systemic racism and bigotry, the Foundation created a sign-on letter for Arizona individuals and organizations to add their names, now in excess of 300, in support of the removal of the following Confederate memorials from Arizona public property:

• Monument to Arizona Confederate Troops, Wesley Bolin Plaza, Phoenix • Confederate Monument, Historical Soldiers Monument Cemetery area of the state- owned Southern Arizona Veterans' Cemetery, Sierra Vista • Jefferson Davis monument highway marker, U.S. Route 60, east of Phoenix • Battle of Picacho Pass monument, Picacho Peak State Park, Pinal County

The removal of these monuments will not “change” history or “erase” it. What does change with such removals is what Arizona decides is worthy of civic honor and recognition. As historians, Arizonans, and Americans, we have an obligation to confront the complex and often difficult stories of our past. We fully recognize the multitude of ways that our understanding and characterization of our shared story continues to shape our collective future.

P.O. Box 13492, Phoenix, AZ 85002 • 602-687-7092 • [email protected] • EIN 86-0371336 Each of these monuments was installed in the 20th century, long after the Civil War ended. As noted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation:

“Advocates of the Lost Cause erected these monuments all over the country to vindicate the Confederacy at the bar of history, erase the central issues of slavery and emancipation from our understanding of the war, and reaffirm a system of state-sanctioned white supremacy. Put simply, the erection of these Confederate monuments and enforcement of Jim Crow went hand- in-hand. They were intended as a celebration of white supremacy when they were constructed [and] they are still being used as symbols and rallying points for such hate today.”

One day before Juneteenth 2020 and on the same day that the president & CEO of the National Trust spoke to attendees of the Arizona Preservation in Place virtual conference, the National Trust updated and strengthened its own 2017 statement on Confederate Monuments to read:

“We believe it is past time for us, as a nation, to acknowledge that some monuments do not reflect, and are in fact abhorrent to, our values and to our foundational obligation to continue building a more perfect union that embodies equality and justice for all. Our view is that unless these monuments can in fact be used to foster recognition of the reality of our painful past and invite reconciliation for the present and the future, they should be removed from our public spaces.”

These monuments celebrate and promote bigotry and racism. They are devoid of true Arizona history and their very presence continues to hurt our African-American friends, neighbors, co- workers, and strangers we may meet on the bus, at the lunch counter, or on a march for justice.

Today, one day after the Governor of Mississippi signed a bill to remove the Confederate emblem from the Mississippi State Flag and three days before the 244th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence marking the birth of the United States of America as an independent nation, we urge you and your Administration to act to initiate the removal of Confederate monuments on public (American) property.

The Foundation also requests that the Arizona Historical Advisory Commission (AHAC) audit the state for other names, markers, and monuments that promote bigotry and racism and work with other public agencies to begin the process of their removal as well.

Sincerely yours,

James W. McPherson III President, Board of Directors Arizona Preservation Foundation

Page 2 of 3 cc: The Honorable Martha McSally, The Honorable , United States Senate The Honorable Ruben Gallego, Member of Congress The Honorable , Secretary of State The Honorable Richard Andrade, Arizona House of Representatives The Honorable Reginald Bolding, Arizona House of Representatives The Honorable Kate Gallego, Mayor, City of Phoenix Andy Tobin, Director, Arizona Department of Administration John Halikowski, Director, Arizona Department of Transportation Bob Broscheid, Director, Arizona State Parks & Trails Teresita Majewski, Chair, Arizona Historical Advisory Commission Kathryn Leonard, State Historic Preservation Officer Paul Edmondson, President & CEO, National Trust for Historic Preservation Briana Paxton Grosicki, Chair, Preservation Action Glenn Hamer, President & CEO, Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry Janice Klein, Executive Director, Museum Association of Arizona Corey Harris, Member, Vets Forward Neil Giuliano, President & CEO, Greater Phoenix Leadership Todd Sanders, President & CEO, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce Devney Preuss, Interim Executive Director, Phoenix Community Alliance Eric Ryden, Board Member, Preserve Phoenix Shannon Dubasik, Executive Director, Capitol Mall Association Jeff Sherman, Chair, Downtown Voices Coalition Jeremy Duda, Arizona Mirror Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services Grace Oldham, The Arizona Republic Jill Ryan, KJZZ Radio Board Members, Arizona Preservation Foundation

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