Talbot Democratic Party Statement on the Confederate Monument in Talbot County

We have been taught that our shared heritage & history is one of sanctuary, security, invitation, and peace. While we are proud of our Eastern Shore melting pot - proud of the heritage and tradition of the waterman, the hunters, the farmers, and so many others who have passed their craft from one generation to the next - it is past time for a thoughtful introspection, an honest conversation, on the darker side of Talbot County’s history: the racial issues that have also passed inexplicably from one generation to the next. As equity, justice, and opportunity for all are the guiding principles of the Talbot County Democratic Party, we join the chorus of Talbot County citizens and organizations calling for the removal of the ‘Talbot Boys’ Confederate statue from the Courthouse grounds.

There is no stronger symbol of sustained, localized racism and bigotry than the memorial to Confederate soldiers that stands on the grounds of the Talbot County Courthouse. The relocation of this monument from our Courthouse grounds is not be an act of political correctness - nor is it an insult to the valor of Talbot’s Confederate soldiers. Simply put, it is past time for this County to accept that the cause for which they fought - the enslavement of human beings - was wrong. Further, given the overwhelming number of Talbot residents that fought for the Union rather than the Confederacy, the continued prominent placement of this monument is a distortion of history, rather than an accurate depiction of Talbot’s role during the American Civil War.

Frederick Douglass, Talbot’s greatest son, who’s statue on our Courthouse grounds should stand taller than any other, said, “Slavery is indeed gone, but its shadow still lingers over the country and poisons more or less the moral atmosphere of all sections of the republic.”

Talbot County is not and never has been immune to this continued disease of racism and bigotry. While the Confederate monument is a symbol of sustained and institutionalized racism, it is just that: a symbol. The Talbot County Democratic Party is committed to supporting equal justice and opportunity for all, regardless of race, sex, religion, orientation, or creed.