Justin Timberlake has become the latest public figure to call for the removal of Confederate monuments across the U.S.

The musician and actor, who is from Tennessee, shared his thoughts regarding the monuments in an Instagram post on Monday.

"There are roughly 1,848 confederate statues of in the US," he wrote in his caption of the post, which featured a video by the American Civil Liberties Union about Confederate monuments. "More than half are in The South, and it's not acceptable. No one should be protecting the legacies of confederate leaders and slave owners."

"If we plan to move forward, these monuments must come down," Timberlake continued. "But let's remember: Removing these statues does not erase our country's vile history of oppression — removing them is a symbol of respect for Black people in America and it's a step towards progress and actual equality for all."

Timberlake isn't the only celebrity to demand the removal of Confederate monuments. Last month, Taylor Swift also spoke out against the monuments, saying they make her sick.

Black celebrities like Yara Shahidi and Kerry Washington condemned Confederate monuments in 2018.

The debate around Confederate monuments has been renewed in recent weeks, as more and more cities choose to remove them over their racist histories. Their removal, however, has also been met with criticism as an erasure of history.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

...a state that happens to be the home of many many confederate monuments. I’ve been listening closely to the ongoing debates about what to do with these statues — and I really want to take a minute to talk about this. ⠀ ⠀ When we protest racism in America, people think we are protesting America itself. Why is that the reaction? Because America was built by men who believed in and benefitted from racism. Plain and simple. ⠀ ⠀ This is when you hear “But that’s all in the past”. So let’s be clear... those men who proudly owned and abused Black people are STILL celebrated all over the country. ⠀ ⠀ There are roughly 1,848 confederate statues of in the US. More than half are in The South, and it’s not acceptable. No one should be protecting the legacies of confederate leaders and slave owners. ⠀ If we plan to move forward, these monuments must come down. But let’s remember: Removing these statues does not erase our country’s vile history of oppression — removing them is a symbol of respect for Black people in America and it’s a step towards progress and actual equality for all. ⠀ ⠀ This video is by @aclu_nationwide, which has been fighting hard to remove these statues across the country. Their Legal Director #JeffreyRobinson has been speaking on this issue for years (you can find more in the link in my bio). Please follow them and learn more about the history of the monuments in your own states and counties.

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