City Council hears comments regarding action on Confederate Square, monument

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The addition of interpretive panels to the Confederate Square was discussed as part of the regular agenda at the July 9 meeting of the Gonzales City Council meeting.

Mayor Connie Kacir said she began discussing the possibility of adding interpretive historical panels with County Veterans Service Officer David Tucy and Gonzales County Historical Commission Chair Glenda Gordon “years ago.” However, Tucy said, recent national and local events regarding the square and other Confederate monuments have made the present the best time to discuss these changes. Tucy, who is Black, and Kacir, who is white, are both lifelong residents of Gonzales. 

“I am not here to advocate for its removal,” Tucy said. “My discussion on the topic is as follows: it appears that the majority of white citizens in the city and county are strictly opposed to the removal of the statue, quoting that ‘it’s history.’ And that is true. It is history.

“The problem is that it only conveys one side of history. To most white citizens, it commemorates the lives that were lost in the Civil War, but to most Black citizens, it is a constant reminder of the impression that those who died fought to uphold the institution of slavery. And that is offensive.”

Tucy said that the history celebrated by the monument and the square's name is one-sided, uplifting a history of racism without acknowledging the significance of Confederate history to Black members of the community.

“When we speak of Gonzales, we refer to it as ‘our town,’” Tucy said. “I feel that if this is the sentiment, that this division would not exist. ‘Our town’ would represent both sides of the history.”

Tucy said that from each perspective, the monument still only represents one side of history. In order to be fair to both black and white citizens of Gonzales County, Tucy said he feels that a compromise must be made.

“We would like to encourage Mr. Tucy, Ms. Gordon and Mr. Quincy Johnson continue these efforts and come back at a later time, with a proposal, a presentation and a scope of work so that action could be taken,” Mayor Kacir said.

No one else at the meeting provided comment on controversy surrounding Confederate Square and the Confederate Monument.

The plan

The comments provided by sole speakers on the issue Tucy and Gordon, which were not acted upon, proposed the installation of panels to provide historical context of the Civil War as it relates to Gonzales.

The panels proposed by the Historical Commission would be located at the Confederate Monument site, as well as a proposed Juneteenth site, to honor the holiday celebrating the day enslaved African Americans in Texas were told of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The first set of panels proposed would focus on “Antebellum Gonzales,” “Gonzales’ Significance in the Civil War,” and “Women, Slaves and Refugees.” The second, for the proposed Juneteenth site, include “June 19, 1862 ‘Juneteenth’ state holiday,” “Neighborhoods and Families in Gonzales (from the Gonzales 1870 US Census)” and “African American ‘Firsts’ in Gonzales.”

According to the proposal given to the council by Gordon, the estimated per panel would be between $800 and $1,000. The council suggested that a proposal be drawn up, with samples of what these panels may look like, so that they can become an actionable item at a future meeting.

It was also suggested that Confederate Square be renamed to Independence Square.

Double standard

Tucy said that the statue creates a double standard in how citizens can talk about the city’s history with their families.

“My very astute 12-year-old granddaughter is visiting this summer, and I would love to show her some of the historical sites in Gonzales and explain to her exactly what they stand for,” Tucy said. “But imagine me trying to explain the history of Confederate Square and the Confederate statue from an African American point of view when it only represents one side of history.

“On the other hand, many white grandfathers would not have a problem explaining the side of history that represents. It makes it difficult to understand how it is ‘our town’ when we’re not represented, and that is the sentiment of Black citizens in the city of Gonzales.”

Tucy is a Career United States Army Veteran who served for 23 years. As the Gonzales County Veterans Service Officer, which is a position on the county’s payroll, Tucy connects local veterans with services and benefits available to them, such as healthcare, pensions and survivor benefits for their families.

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