In observance of Juneteenth, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is calling for the removal of the portraits of House speakers who served in the Confederacy.
In a letter to Cheryl Johnson, Clerk of the House of Representatives, Pelosi said, “Tomorrow, Americans will mark Juneteenth, a beautiful and proud celebration of freedom for African Americans.”
She continued, “Very sadly, this day comes during a moment of extraordinary national anguish, as we grieve for the hundreds of Black Americans killed by racial injustice and police brutality, including George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others.”
In order to “appropriately observe Juneteenth,” Pelosi asked Johnson to remove the portraits of House Speakers Robert Hunter, Howell Cobb, James Orr, and Charles Crisp, who served in the Confederacy.
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The day marks from the arrival of federal troops in Gavelston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.
After the Civil War, slavery continued in Texas until federal troops arrived to ensure that the state’s 250,000 slaves were freed.
“As I have said before, the halls of Congress are the very heart of our democracy. There is no room in the hallowed halls of Congress or in any place of honor for memorializing men who embody the violent bigotry and grotesque racism of the Confederacy,” Pelosi said.
She continued:
“We cannot honor men such as James Orr, who swore on the House Floor to ‘preserve and perpetuate’ slavery in order to ‘enjoy our property in peace, quiet and security,’ or Robert Hunter, who served at nearly every level of the Confederacy, including in the Confederate Provincial Congress, as Confederate Secretary of State, in the Confederate Senate and in the Confederate Army. The portraits of these men are symbols that set back our nation’s work to confront and combat bigotry.”
She added, “Our Congressional community has the sacred opportunity and obligation to make meaningful change to ensure that the halls of Congress reflect our highest ideals as Americans. Let us lead by example.”
After Pelosi’s letter it was announced that the four portraits would be removed on Thursday afternoon.
Pelosi’s call to remove the portraits of former House speakers comes amid her push to remove 11 statues of Confederates from the Capitol, as IJR reported.
On Wednesday, Pelosi said, “Right now the mood in the country is so completely different, and the desire to rid ourselves of any of these symbols of bigotry and hatred is much stronger.’
She said that “there will be legislation that will come forward and hopefully it could pass the House and Senate and be signed by the president.”
Pelosi’s push comes as public officials are re-evaluating a variety of symbols or statues of individuals with racist legacies as protests against racism and police brutality have erupted around the country following George Floyd’s death.