(This post may contain disputed claims. We make no assertions as to the validity of the information presented by our Opinion Columnist. We are an opinion blog, not a traditional news outlet, and this post should be treated as such. Enjoy.)When a mob of angry protesters showed up with plans to tear down a “white supremacy” statue of Abraham Lincoln, they were confronted by a pair of black gentlemen with an expertise in U.S. history and a bone to pick with the ignorant.
On Friday, the Black Lives Matter-led initiative to tear down statues across the nation in an effort to combat white supremacy made its way to the Washington, D.C., where activists prepared to illegally topple the Emancipation Memorial. Organized by Freedom Neighborhood leader Glenn Foster, rioters openly expressed plans to destroy the memorial for “disempowering” black people and resembling “white supremacy,” the Washington Examiner reports.
“We’re going to tear that motherf—– down!” Foster shouted, pointing to the statue.
Just as Foster announced the steps necessary to successfully remove the memorial, he was interrupted by a pair of black men on a mission to not only save the statue but also teach the uneducated mob a lesson on American history.
Armed with a megaphone and an extensive knowledge of our nation’s history, Don Folden and Cedric Turner stepped in front of the memorial to deliver a humbling reality check. Folden, a local tour guide, launched into a heated speech blasting the would-be vandals for their historical ignorance.
Nearby stands Turner, who claims to be a descendant of Archer Alexander, the freed slave depicted in the memorial. Although the mob is none-the-wiser, the statue was paid for by freed slaves and dedicated by Frederick Douglass. It stands as a testament to the crucial union of the white man and the black slave in abolishing slavery.
“Let me show you how full of s— all y’all out here are,” Folden shouts. “You see, a lot of people are out here talking about tearing something down that they don’t even know the history of. If you’re going to protest something, protest turning it back the way it was facing, which was the capitol. That’s the way that statue was facing. Y’all don’t even know the history of this statue but you want to tear it down because you are offended.”
Foster tries several times to regain control of his rally to no avail. Instead, Folden continues his rant and is even met with applause, turning some of the crowd against the activist leader.
“And to all the people in the community that’s so upset, why didn’t you clean this statue up?” Foster accused. “Why haven’t you cleaned up around it, community? You’re so upset and you want to tear it down but you won’t even clean up around it.”
“That’s my great-great-grandfather,” Turner can be heard saying in the background as Foster attempts to regain control of his rally.
Foster appears flustered as he tries to gather his thoughts. From this moment, his rallying cries have been deprived of their initial power. Now, his followers have begun to question if removing the statue is the right action since they have now discovered that not all black people are on board with their efforts. He ultimately asserts that older people shouldn’t have a say in black activism, a charge that exposes his ignorance and failed ideology.
“Last time I checked, this was my event,” Foster said.
Finally, Foster surrenders. He embarrassingly informs the crowd that he has decided they should not attempt to tear down the statue on their own. Instead, he suggests that they should petition lawmakers if they want to have the memorial removed. Still, he clings to his fragile dogma of systemic racism.
“We are not going to stop it until every single person has the chance to live free from the oppression of our government, preconceived notions of white supremacy, and most importantly, people who are allowing the system to oppress us,” Foster said.
Although Folden puts down his megaphone, his battle isn’t over. At one point, he offers protection to right-wing activist Jack Posobiec, who had shown up to protest the memorial’s removal. He leads Posobiec away from rioters who continue their attack.
Here are activists at the Emancipation Memorial harassing @JackPosobiec as Don Folden, a DC tour guide, leads him away from the rally. pic.twitter.com/WwOCPMlnJE
— Nic Rowan (@NicXTempore) June 27, 2020
He also encounters an aggressive female activist, who screams in his face. She yells that she doesn’t need to tell him the history of the statue to know it’s a symbol of white supremacy.
“Who paid for it?” Folden calmly asks.
The young woman lurches forward to confront him but quickly realizes that she doesn’t have an answer. After a brief pause, she continues shouting before ultimately walking away in frustration.
Incredibly, Folden and Turner succeeded in protecting the monument, which was erected long ago by former slaves, with nothing more than their voices and intellect. At a time when the left insists that only violence accomplishes change, these two men proved that our constitutional rights are sufficient in bringing about progress.
