Letter: Slave monument discussion was revealing in a few ways

Posted 3/17/22

To the editor:

I recently viewed the videotape of the most recent town council meeting, which was dominated by discussion of the proposal to construct a monument honoring the lives of the …

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Letter: Slave monument discussion was revealing in a few ways

Posted

To the editor:

I recently viewed the videotape of the most recent town council meeting, which was dominated by discussion of the proposal to construct a monument honoring the lives of the individuals who were enslaved in town during the dark days of Bristol's participation in the slave trade, and after watching the meeting, I came away with a number of conclusions, the most important being that Michael Andrade was a brave and dedicated Bristolian and American, and his tragic death surely earned him a monument in the most prominent spot in town.

The next conclusion I reached was that certain members of the council seemed to feel that everyone in town should have known the story of Michael Andrade, and the group proposing the slave monument disrespected Michael's memory by proposing the slave monument be located in proximity to Michael's monument. Personally, I did not know Michael Andrade, but I do vaguely recall the story of his heroism and tragic death, and I had absolutely no idea there was a monument at the State Street Dock in his honor, and I would venture to guess there are many other Bristolians who do not know there is a monument in his honor in town.

While there are some Bristolians who believe the world begins and ends at the Mount Hope Bridge and Warren town line, and eat, live, and breathe the town affairs 24/7, there are many more of us who do not have the time, energy, or interest to involve ourselves in every intricacy and bit of minutia regarding town events.

And while I believe a slave monument could peacefully and respectfully co-exist with the Michael Andrade monument, the town council has already let the toothpaste out of the tube, and the only way they will be placated will be for the committee to propose a new location for the monument. And judging by the attitude of the council at the recent meeting, I would hope the slave monument committee could secure a location for the monument on private property and cut the town council out of the discussion completely.

And the final conclusion I reached from watching the meeting was that certain members of our town council were very condescending in their remarks directed at the individuals who have made an earnest and honest effort to bring this project to fruition. They might want to keep in mind the fact their words have meanings, and perhaps they could tone down their rhetoric at future meetings. The slave monument committee inadvertently upset the friends and family of Michael Andrade, they apologized to those people, and it is now time for everyone to step back, take a breath, and seek out a solution that will be acceptable to everyone involved.

Mike Proto
245 Chestnut St.

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