KKK Plaque Displayed in West Point’s Science Center

The United States Military Academy, West Point, has several monuments and buildings all across its campus that commemorate Confederate soldiers. But earlier this month a congressional commission discovered a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) plaque hanging above the entrance of the United States Military Academy’s science center. The KKK plaque displays a person with a hood on while holding a rifle, underneath that it says, “Ku Klux Klan.”

The Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacy group that was founded in 1865, is largely regarded as America’s most infamous hate group. They promote the belief that white people are superior to other races. The KKK extended to almost every southern state. They intimidated and used violence against white and black Republican leaders.

In 1871 Congress passed the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. This allowed for certain crimes committed by individuals as federal offenses. It included conspiracies to deprive citizens of the right to hold office. In the 1920s, the KKK was at its peak exceeding 4 million members all throughout the United States.

The original founders were a group including many former Confederate veterans. The first leader or better known as the “grand wizard” was Leading Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest. In 1915, the KKK had a revival and was still anti-black but was now also against Roman Catholics, Jews, foreigners, and organized labor. During the 1960s, the era of the civil rights movement, the KKK bombed black schools and churches and attacked black and white activists in the South.

The Naming Commission provides naming, renaming, and removal recommendations to Congress for all Department of Defense objects that acknowledge and praise the Confederate States of America or any person who served for the Confederate States of America. The commission came to place in 2021 under the National Defense Authorization Act. Former president, Donald Trump, vetoed it but Congress veto overrode it to approve the legislation. The Naming Commission included the photo of the KKK plaque in their report. However, they don’t have the authority to recommend its removal because it’s not a confederate monument, specifically. The report said there are clear ties between the KKK to the Confederacy.

West Point has a lot of buildings and monuments that commemorate Confederate soldiers. Five areas in West Point, including a child care center, are named after Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general. The report said that Robert E. Lee’s actions caused destruction and his armies were responsible for the deaths of more U.S. soldiers than any other enemy in the nation’s history. The cost to rename all of the buildings and monuments can range from $1,000 to $30,000. They have until 2024 to remove these Confederate-related names.

The artwork was dedicated to West Point graduates that served in World War II and Korea in 1965. The Public Affairs office said that West Point does not condone, accept, or promote sexism, racism, or any other biases. They also said that the Academy continues to graduate its most diverse classes ever with respect to ethnicity, gender, experience, and background. They also agreed to review the commissions’ recommendations and plans to implement changes once approved.

Written by Gabriel Salgado
Edited by Sheena Robertson

Sources:

CNN: West Point is displaying a Ku Klux Klan plaque at entrance to Science building, Congressional Naming Commission finds

NBC News: Ku Klux Klan plaque is mounted at the entrance of West Point’s science center, congressional commission finds

History: Ku Klux Klan

COMMONLIT: AMERICA’S MOST INFAMOUS HATE GROUP: THE KKK

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Inset Image Courtesy of Gurney Halleck Flickr Page – Creative Commons License