Is it possible that our local white supremacists don’t realize that not all Civil War memorials celebrate the Confederacy?

Earlier today, the following social media post was forwarded to a reader of this site, who, in turn, shared it with me. It apparently shows white supremacist literature at the base of Ypsilanti’s Civil War memorial in Highland Cemetery.

At the bottom of the above image, you’ll notice one of the comments that was left in response to the post by a member of the white supremacist group that left the literature. “As a Michigander,” the man writes next to his profile photo of Hitler, “this photo brings me great joy.” He then goes on to say, “Hail our People!”

OK, so I’m not so sure how to tell you this, but… if you’re the white supremacist to came out this morning to visit our Civil War memorial… you should probably know that not all Civil War memorials glorify the Confederacy. In fact, some, like this one that you left your lovely bouquet on, actually memorialize the men who gave their lives to stop the traitors against America, like Robert E. Lee, who you so admire. I know it’s a subtle difference, but it’s one that I think you should probably be aware of.

That’s right, the “heritage” you’re “honoring,” when you lay your flowers at this particular monument, isn’t one of racism, but of free black men, and escaped black slaves, joining together with white Michiganders to save the Republic and free those in bondage. And, in fact, this monument marks where many of these men, both black and white, lie buried together… So, yes, by all means, let’s honor the heritage of those men who lay beneath the marker you found in Ypsilanti today that says “They Died To Make Their Country Free.” They were good men, and they died for a noble cause.

You might also be interested to know that this monument, where you decided to share your literature today, was erected in 1895, not just with funds collected from Ypsilanti’s vibrant abolitionist community, but with a contribution from the all-black “John Brown Post” of the Grand Army of the Republic in Detroit. [John Brown, for those who may not recognize the name, was executed in 1859 for his attempt to incite a slave insurrection in Virginia.] I suspect, wherever the spirits of these men may be right now, they’d be happy to know that you’re helping to bring recognition to their heroic work to “make America great.”

I think I probably already made it clear, but it’s worth repeating… Just because a monument mentions the Civil War, doesn’t mean it acknowledges, even just a little bit, the validity of the Confederate cause. As Ypsilanti historian Matt Siegfried mentioned to me this evening, “13,000 Michiganders died fighting the Confederacy, and I don’t know of a single one that died fighting for it.” This monument, in other words, is explicitly, without question, a Union monument… Siegfried went on to say that this section of Highland Cemetery was almost surely “sacred space for the generation of local activists that fought against slavery.” Near this monument, he told me, leading local abolitionist Helen McAndrew is also buried, as well as white officers who fought in the Colored Troops regiments.

So, yeah, you really couldn’t have picked a worse place to make your statement about how we need to remember the Civil War and what our ancestors fought for.

Oh, and that reader of mine who found out about this on social media earlier today, went right to Highland Cemetery and tore up the racist literature that had been left at the base of the monument. Because, as much as some things may change in Ypsi, there’s one thing that will always remain constant… We won’t tolerate shit like this.