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WHEREAS African Americans have been subjected to over 400 years of abuse in

America including some of the most brutal physical, mental, and emotional abuse
ever suffered in human history, and

WHEREAS the institution of slavery caused and perpetuated this abuse and made
denial of African American equality and the idea of white supremacy the law of the
land, and

WHEREAS the Confederacy and its military fought to preserve slavery, deny
equality, and promote white supremacy, and

WHEREAS the military defeat of the Confederacy only removed some barriers to
African American equality, and

WHEREAS African Americans continued to face discriminatory laws, legal practices,


and unpunished illegal violence specifically aimed at preventing them from
achieving equality from Reconstruction through the Jim Crow Era, and

WHEREAS even after the economic, social, and legal gains made by the Civil Rights
movement, African Americans are still denied equality by a society that
discriminates against them even when hard-won laws call for equal treatment, and

WHEREAS Confederate monuments along with streets, schools, and other public
places named for prominent Confederates continue to be glaring symbols of our
refusal to allow full and equal participation in society by African Americans, and

WHEREAS these Confederate monuments and other commemorations were made


for the explicit purpose of distorting the violent and oppressive history of the
Confederacy and to preserve the principle of white supremacy in both law and
practice, and

WHEREAS the Confederate monuments present a false and irredeemable distortion


of history not ameliorated by any artistic or educational value, and

WHEREAS it is fundamentally unjust to require Dallas residents to support hateful


symbols with their tax dollars and to explain to their children the meaning of these
public symbols, and

WHEREAS historians and religious leaders of diverse backgrounds have


consistently called for the removal of Confederate monuments and symbols from
public property for many years, and

WHEREAS the continued public display of Confederate monuments and


commemorations is fundamentally in conflict with the requirements of equal
protection for citizens as provided by the Constitution and laws of the United States,
the state, or the laws of the city and suggests the supremacy of one ethnic, religious,
or racial group over another, and is antithetical to the clear public policy of the City
of Dallas to be a welcoming city to people of all backgrounds and to scrupulously
seek equality for all of its citizens, and

WHEREAS the continued public display of Confederate monuments and


commemorations is harmful to the competitiveness of the City of Dallas in the
modern economy, and

WHEREAS the people of Dallas have observed the brave example of the people of
New Orleans, Orlando, St. Louis, and Baltimore in removing Confederate
monuments, and

WHEREAS the time has come for a robust public discussion of the history of the
monuments and commemorations and the policy of the City of Dallas regarding the
standards for public commemoration of any person

Now, Therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF


DALLAS:

1. That the display of Confederate monuments and the naming of public places
for prominent Confederates is against the public policy of the City of Dallas
and is condemned,
2. That Confederate monuments located on city-owned property must be
removed expeditiously,
3. That city-owned property named for prominent Confederates including,
without limitation, streets and buildings, must be renamed expeditiously,
4. That Confederate symbols displayed on any city-owned property must be
removed expeditiously except where otherwise prohibited by law or
prevented by public safety concerns,
5. That for the purpose of accomplishing the above, the Council creates the
Commemorations Task Force that reflects the citys racial, ethnic, gender,
and religious diversity and consists of community leaders and scholars from
throughout Dallas.
a. The following persons are appointed to the Commemorations Task
Force:

Rev. Dr. Michael W. Waters


__________________________________ Chair

__________________________________ ________________________________

__________________________________ ________________________________

__________________________________ ________________________________
b. The Commemorations Task Force is directed to consider the best
methods for accomplishing the goals of this resolution including what
to do with monuments and symbols after removal from public spaces ,
the potential for private fundraising to supplement public funds for
removal, standards for public commemorations, suggested name
changes, and recommendations regarding individuals and events in
Dallas history that should be commemorated in places where
Confederate monuments and symbols have been removed.
c. The Commemorations Task force will convene no fewer than 2 public
meetings for the purpose of educating the public about the history of
the monuments and commemorations and to receive public input on
the implementation of this resolution,
d. The Commemorations Task Force will return to Council on December
6, 2017, to report its findings and recommendations,
e. The Commemorations Task Force is an advisory body whose
members are not public officials for purposes of Chapter 12A of the
city code.

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