The faculty of the School of Information and Library Science (SILS) condemn the recent decision to give UNC Chapel Hill funds to a private organization for the purpose of erecting a memorial to the Confederacy.

To fund an organization with documented ties to white supremacist groups implies UNC Chapel Hill and UNC System support for their hateful ideology, with devastating consequences for the safety of our communities and the reputations of our universities. This is contrary to the values we hold at SILS.

The opaque process that led to this decision is an affront to the principles of open access to information that we seek to promote.

As educators charged with training professionals in the stewardship and contextualization of historical artifacts, we feel that the proposed plan does not live up to the professional and ethical standards of our students, alumni, and professional colleagues.

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