Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond continues his campaign to see the statue of a former university president removed from campus, citing his role in violence against Black and indigenous people prior to his time as the leader of the school.
Lawrence Sullivan Ross was university president from 1891 to 1898, and in 1919, a statue known commonly as "Sully" was built to honor him and his contributions to the school. Mond has previously advocated for the statue's removal from its place in the center of campus, and on Tuesday he issued a lengthy statement, titled "Let's Not Forget Sully," calling for all of Ross' past -- the good and the bad -- to be considered a part of his legacy.
"This is like saying someone who murders half of a family, but gives the other half of the family millions of dollars and resources to be successful for the rest of their lives, should be forgiven by the family," Mond wrote after citing multiple historical examples of Sullivan's role in violence against Black and indigenous people. "Based on your ideology, people should forgive the murderer because he made up for his horrific actions by giving half of the family an opportunity to succeed. Based on your ideology, not only should you forgive the murderer, but you should also glorify the murderer."
Check out Mond's full statement below:
LETS NOT FORGET SULLY. pic.twitter.com/mTBEoyhkq7
— K M o n d (@TheKellenMond) June 17, 2020
There are active petitions both to remove and keep the statue on campus. It was a site of protests and activism last weekend and Mond's statement on Tuesday received support from current and former players as he tried to get #RacismAtTAMUFeelsLike trending nationally on social media.
#RacismAtTAMUFeelsLike is trending NATIONALLY. We need major changes!
— K M o n d (@TheKellenMond) June 17, 2020
After serving as the president of Texas A&M, Ross went on to be Texas governor where he is credited by supporters for efforts that do not align with his role in racial violence. University leaders, including Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp as recently as 2018, have publicly supported the statue as a tribute to Ross' legacy. But when current university president Michael K. Young released a lengthy statement on Monday detailing the "actions and next steps" of the university to address racism in the campus community, the statue was not mentioned.
"The values of Texas A&M University do not align with racism, violence, slavery and segregation," Mond wrote in conclusion. "But Jimbo Fisher's most prominent saying will always stick with me: 'Your actions speak so loud I can't hear what you're saying. The Lawrence Sullivan Ross Statue needs to be removed. Texas A&M University, I need to see action."
