Kristin Collins: How about honoring black people?

I’ve watched the debate over Confederate monuments with mixed emotions. While I hate the idea of glorifying the fight to preserve slavery, I also hate the idea of hiding or trying to forget our history, no matter how painful it may be.

I have finally realized what makes these monuments so unsavory: They honor only the white lives lost because of slavery. Perhaps the answer is not to tear down the Confederate statues, but to erect companion monuments honoring the countless black people who suffered and died in North Carolina under the brutal institution of slavery.

If preserving Confederate monuments is truly about honoring our history, then erecting monuments that remind us of the full legacy of slavery is the logical next step.

This story was originally published July 25, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Kristin Collins: How about honoring black people?."