Rejecting Symbols of Hate

People gather around a monument of Confederate general Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Va., June 10, 2020. REUTERS/Julia Rendleman

Let’s be very clear: Tearing down symbols is not enough. Changing statues can never substitute changing policies and practices based on skin color and that still undergird this country’s systematic racism. But symbols do send clear messages about personal and national memory and about future possibilities.

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An image of the November 2026 issue of Sojourners, titled "Face to Face." It features George Lakey on the cover
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