Your city is putting up statues of enslavers, betam.

Here's what people need to understand—there's a new display at Freedom Plaza, right there in the heart of downtown D.C., and it's got people talking for all the wrong reasons. To celebrate America's 250th anniversary, the Department of the Interior has installed a baker's dozen of statues. Sounds patriotic, right? Ishi. One of them is of a guy named Francis Scott Key, the lyricist for "The Star-Spangled Banner." Not bad on the surface, but Key also enslaved hundreds of people.

Now, I'm not saying we erase history. Betam not. But to put up a statue of an enslaver in a city like ours, a city that is still fighting for basic human rights like statehood, feels like a slap in the face. Especially in Freedom Plaza, a place that should represent exactly what it's named for. It's like these folks don't even know where they are. You can practically hear the go-go from U Street from there, and they're putting up *this*?

### Why This is a D.C. Thing

This isn't just some abstract historical debate, DMV. This is about what we value as a city, particularly when Black families are being pushed out to PG County, and folks from outside think they can just come here and define our narrative.

* **Our History Matters:** D.C. has a complex history with slavery, emancipation, and the fight for civil rights. Honoring enslavers, even as part of a larger historical exhibit, feels tone-deaf to the core identity of Washington, D.C.

* **Symbolism in Our Backyard:** Freedom Plaza is practically next door to where Ben's Chili Bowl holds down the culture. It's steps from where people march for justice. The choice of location and subject matter is, to put it mildly, a bama move.

* **Who Tells Our Story?:** This goes back to who gets to decide what history is celebrated and how. For a city without a vote in Congress, these decisions often come from federal agencies that don't always understand the nuance of life here on the ground.

It's not just about some old statue; it's about respect for the people who call this place home. That's the District, DMV — no vote, all heart.

The crew on the Morning Wire will have a lot to say about this tomorrow morning. Tune in live at mornings.live.