Letter to Secretary of Defense Austin - Congressman Brown, CBC Chair Beatty Call For Secretary Austin To Remove Trump Appointees To Confederate Redesignation Commission

Letter

Dear Secretary Austin:

We write to you regarding military bases and other defense property named after Confederate leaders, and a Commission established by the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the naming of items of the Department of Defense that commemorate the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America. Immediate action must be taken to ensure that appointments to the Commission have the character and experience that meet the important responsibility of such a duty and that Department designations that honor the Confederacy are removed as quickly as possible.

As Secretary of Defense, you are authorized to make four appointments to the Commission established under this law and must do so prior to 45 days from enactment, or February 15, 2021. These individuals will work together with four additional appointees from Congress to assess the cost of renaming or removing the designations, develop procedures and criteria to assess whether an object commemorates the Confederacy, recommend procedures and plans for renaming assets, and create a plan for incorporating local sensitivities associated with this process.

We thank you for initiating a review of the temporary appointments to the Commission that were made by the previous administration. Those who are called to serve their nation in this matter must have a deep understanding of and expertise in the history of Confederate monuments and their role in the white supremacist movement, the continuing racial disparities and reckoning in our nation, a commitment to serving on this body to unite our country, and a desire to honor Americans who embody the values to which we aspire and the diversity which is our greatest strength. Immediate action should be taken to replace these appointees and ensure the final appointments represent our nation, our values, and the intent of the Commission. We stand ready to provide recommendations on candidates that meet these criteria in all aspects and with exceptional character.

Additionally, immediate action must be taken to remove the designations of military installations that honor the Confederacy and replace them with temporary designations until the time in which new permanent names are established. Ten Army installations and two National Guard bases are known to bear the names of former Confederate leaders. While the Department could be expected to take a longer period of time to identify the full scope of covered property, there is no reason why these bases should honor traitors for a single additional day. The FY2021 NDAA and other laws and regulations provide you the necessary authority to take this action today independently.

President Biden has said that "the names affixed to our military installations must honor the diverse heritage of leadership and sacrifice in our country's history." We must guarantee that another Black child will not have to grow up on Stonewall Jackson Drive, another Black cadet at West Point will not be forced to call Lee Barracks home, and another Black service member will not have to report to duty at Fort Rucker. We owe it to ourselves, to our military, and to every American who will answer the call, that these installations represent a more inclusive America - one that fulfills our nation's founding promise of a more perfect union.

We thank you for your consideration of this request, and your dedicated and steadfast leadership on issues of diversity and inclusion.

Sincerely,

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