Van Hollen Statement on Talbot County Council Decision on Talbot Boys Statue

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) issued the following statement after the Talbot County Council voted 3-2 to allow the Talbot Boys statue to remain outside the Talbot County Circuit Courthouse. The statue, completed in 1916, memorializes the names of 84 Confederate soldiers and is topped with a soldier holding the Confederate battle flag.

“I am deeply disappointed in the Talbot County Council’s vote to allow the Talbot Boys statue to remain in place. The monument – which was erected over 50 years after the Civil War – serves as a constant and painful reminder to residents of the ugly, hateful legacy of slavery and those who fought with the Confederacy to preserve it. As such, it is wholly incompatible with the mission of the Talbot County Circuit Court to provide equal justice under the law. I urge the Talbot County Council to reconsider this decision.”