Marianne
Diamond Member
City leaders to discuss controversial whipping post in Waterbury
By Brian Spyros, Anchor/ReporterPublished: July 27, 2017, 6:20 am Updated: July 27, 2017, 3:44 pm
Waterbury whipping post causing controversy
WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH)– A haunting image from the past is now be the focus of plenty of attention. A concrete post on Waterbury’s green is the target of outrage with some calling it downright offensive.
If you live or work in the Brass City you’ve probably walked or driven right by it and thought nothing of it. Now it’s causing controversy.
On Thursday, the mayor of Waterbury is going meet with African-American groups in the city. The acting director of the Greater Waterbury NAACP tells News 8 that she is going to recommend it be taken down.
Related: Waterbury whipping post causing controversy
The issue that a lot of people have is that this was once used as a whipping post for slaves. Its purpose was taken into question after pictures emerged of a recent performance.That performance caused an uproar because it depicted a woman posing as a slave tied to the post, getting whipped. She wanted to show how it was used during colonial times.
A lot of people now want the post gone.
“This here is like a smack in the face to black people,” said Mark Greene.
“I think it’s disrespectful,” said Wesley Mcbride.
“So after they stopped using whipping as a form of punishment, they kept using the whipping posts for posting notices,” said Rachael Guest, Director of Silas Bronson Library.
The post wasn’t only used to punish slaves. It was also used on residents who didn’t pay their town court costs. It would later become a bulletin board.
A lot of opinions when it comes to this post. Again, some say it should go. Others say it should stay.
Waterbury whipping post causing controversy
WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH)– A haunting image from the past is now be the focus of plenty of attention. A concrete post on Waterbury’s green is the target of outrage with some calling it downright offensive.
If you live or work in the Brass City you’ve probably walked or driven right by it and thought nothing of it. Now it’s causing controversy.
On Thursday, the mayor of Waterbury is going meet with African-American groups in the city. The acting director of the Greater Waterbury NAACP tells News 8 that she is going to recommend it be taken down.
Related: Waterbury whipping post causing controversy
The issue that a lot of people have is that this was once used as a whipping post for slaves. Its purpose was taken into question after pictures emerged of a recent performance.That performance caused an uproar because it depicted a woman posing as a slave tied to the post, getting whipped. She wanted to show how it was used during colonial times.
A lot of people now want the post gone.
“This here is like a smack in the face to black people,” said Mark Greene.
“I think it’s disrespectful,” said Wesley Mcbride.
“So after they stopped using whipping as a form of punishment, they kept using the whipping posts for posting notices,” said Rachael Guest, Director of Silas Bronson Library.
The post wasn’t only used to punish slaves. It was also used on residents who didn’t pay their town court costs. It would later become a bulletin board.
A lot of opinions when it comes to this post. Again, some say it should go. Others say it should stay.
They are not the only people on the planet who have been subjugated in a horrific manner. If you sanitize history, you lose the tragic nature of the event and it repeats itself. Leave the post where it stands.
