Two_CRD historians_NN2 on_PRP Wednesday_NP0 provided_VVD their_DPS perspectives_NN2 to_PRP an_AT0 Illinois_NP0 legislative_AJ0 committee_NN1 tasked_VVN with_PRP making_VVG a_AT0 recommendation_NN1 on_PRP the_AT0 fate_NN1 of_PRF monuments_NN2 located_VVN on_PRP state_NN1 property_NN1 ._SENT The_AT0 Statue_NN1 and_CJC Monument_NN1 Review_NN1 Task_NN1 Force_NN1 convened_VVN in_PRP Springfield_NP0 to_TO0 hear_VVI from_PRP the_AT0 pair_NN0 of_PRF Smithsonian_NP0 historians_NN2 ,_PUN who_PNQ advised_VVD the_AT0 committee_NN1 on_PRP the_AT0 historical_AJ0 and_CJC contextual_AJ0 significance_NN1 of_PRF controversial_AJ0 public_AJ0 statutes_NN2 scattered_VVN throughout_PRP the_AT0 state_NN1 ._SENT The_AT0 discussion_NN1 comes_VVZ after_PRP years_NN2 of_PRF public_AJ0 outcry_NN1 and_CJC demands_VVZ that_DT0 imagery_NN1 with_PRP ties_NN2 to_PRP slavery_NN1 be_VBI removed_VVN from_PRP public_AJ0 spaces_NN2 ._SENT "_PUQ This_DT0 is_VBZ n't_XX0 just_AV0 about_PRP politics_NN1 ,_PUN it_PNP 's_VBZ about_PRP people_NN0 connecting_VVG their_DPS own_DT0 lives_NN2 and_CJC identities_NN2 to_PRP these_DT0 stories_NN2 ,_PUN these_DT0 myths_NN2 or_CJC these_DT0 histories_NN2 ,_PUN "_PUQ said_VVD Smithsonian_NP0 curator_NN1 Aaron_NP0 Bryant_NP0 ._SENT "_PUQ This_DT0 is_VBZ a_AT0 lot_NN1 more_AV0 complicated_AJ0 —_PUN you_PNP ca_VM0 n't_XX0 just_AV0 legislate_VVI this_DT0 stuff_NN1 out_AVP of_PRF people_NN0 ._SENT You_PNP have_VHB to_TO0 take_VVI a_AT0 very_AV0 humanistic_AJ0 approach_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ Bryant_NP0 ,_PUN a_AT0 museum_NN1 curator_NN1 at_PRP the_AT0 National_AJ0 Museum_NN1 of_PRF African_AJ0 American_AJ0 History_NN1 &_NN1 Culture_NN1 ,_PUN also_AV0 chaired_VVN a_AT0 similar_AJ0 review_NN1 commission_NN1 in_PRP Baltimore_NP0 ,_PUN which_DTQ voted_VVD to_TO0 remove_VVI a_AT0 handful_NN1 of_PRF Confederate_NN1 statues_NN2 ._SENT All_DT0 of_PRF Baltimore_NP0 's_POS Confederate_NN1 monuments_NN2 were_VBD removed_VVN following_PRP the_AT0 2017_CRD white_AJ0 nationalist_AJ0 rally_NN1 in_PRP Charlottesville_NP0 ,_PUN Virginia_NP0 ,_PUN according_VVG to_PRP Bryant_NP0 ._SENT However_AV0 ,_PUN Bryant_NP0 said_VVD a_AT0 total_AJ0 erasure_NN1 of_PRF these_DT0 monuments_NN2 paints_VVZ an_AT0 inaccurate_AJ0 portrait_NN1 of_PRF history_NN1 ._SENT He_PNP said_VVD Illinois_NP0 needs_VVZ to_TO0 "_PUQ commit_VVI to_PRP the_AT0 unvarnished_AJ0 truth_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ "_PUQ As_CJS a_AT0 result_NN1 of_PRF some_DT0 of_PRF the_AT0 existing_AJ0 monuments_NN2 ,_PUN we_PNP do_VDB n't_XX0 see_VVI ourselves_PNX ,_PUN "_PUQ said_VVD state_NN1 Rep._NN1 Mary_NP0 Flowers_NP0 ,_PUN D-Chicago_NP0 ,_PUN who_PNQ is_VBZ chairwoman_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 task_NN1 force_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ And_CJC if_CJS we_PNP do_VDB see_VVI ourselves_PNX ,_PUN it_PNP 's_VBZ not_XX0 in_PRP a_AT0 light_NN1 that_CJT we_PNP would_VM0 be_VBI proud_AJ0 of_PRF or_CJC our_DPS children_NN2 or_CJC grandchildren_NN2 would_VM0 be_VBI proud_AJ0 of_PRF ._SENT "_PUQ Bryant_NP0 also_AV0 addressed_VVD logistical_AJ0 concerns_NN2 about_PRP what_DTQ would_VM0 happen_VVI to_PRP the_AT0 statues_NN2 if_CJS they_PNP were_VBD removed_VVN ._SENT He_PNP said_VVD Baltimore_NP0 —_PUN one_CRD of_PRF a_AT0 few_DT0 major_AJ0 cities_NN2 to_TO0 remove_VVI Confederate_NN1 iconography_NN1 in_PRP droves_NN2 after_PRP widespread_AJ0 racial_AJ0 justice_NN1 protests_NN2 in_PRP the_AT0 last_ORD decade_NN1 —_PUN kept_VVD the_AT0 statues_NN2 and_CJC held_VVD them_PNP in_PRP storage_NN1 ._SENT Several_DT0 representatives_NN2 backed_VVD suggestions_NN2 to_TO0 donate_VVI the_AT0 statues_NN2 to_PRP museums_NN2 to_TO0 use_VVI as_PRP an_AT0 educational_AJ0 tool_NN1 ._SENT "_PUQ I_PNP think_VVB this_DT0 is_VBZ a_AT0 really_AV0 important_AJ0 teaching_NN1 moment_NN1 —_PUN that_DT0 's_VBZ what_DTQ we_PNP call_VVB it_PNP in_PRP the_AT0 museum_NN1 world_NN1 ,_PUN "_PUQ said_VVD Mark_NP0 Hirsch_NP0 ,_PUN a_AT0 historian_NN1 with_PRP the_AT0 National_AJ0 Museum_NN1 of_PRF the_AT0 American_AJ0 Indian_NN1 ,_PUN who_PNQ talked_VVD to_PRP the_AT0 committee_NN1 extensively_AV0 about_AV0 bigoted_AJ0 and_CJC antiquated_AJ0 portrayals_NN2 of_PRF Native_AJ0 Americans_NN2 in_PRP Illinois_NP0 '_POS public_AJ0 spaces_NN2 ._SENT "_PUQ It_PNP 's_VBZ a_AT0 unique_AJ0 time_NN1 when_CJS I_PNP think_VVB people_NN0 are_VBB open_AJ0 to_PRP a_AT0 dialogue_NN1 about_PRP time-honored_AJ0 verities_NN2 ,_PUN about_PRP assumptions_NN2 ,_PUN about_PRP stereotypes_NN2 ._SENT 
