Why is there a plaque with a hooded KKK figure at West Point? Here’s what we know

A bronze plaque at West Point, the United States Military Academy, shows a hooded figure and the words “Ku Klux Klan” underneath, according to a congressional commission’s report.

Now the military academy which trains Army cadets is addressing the marker.

Congress’ Naming Commission visited West Point and discovered the KKK imagery on a large triptych, made up of three panels, on display at the entrance of Bartlett Hall, the military academy’s science center, the report published Aug. 29 says.

The commission makes recommendations to Congress regarding renaming or removing markers that commemorate the Confederate States of America at any Department of Defense sites, including West Point.

But why is a plaque with KKK imagery on display at the prestigious military academy?

The three-panel artwork at West Point’s science center “references the history of the United States as told in bronze relief,” the military academy’s public affairs office told McClatchy News in a statement on Aug. 31.

“As part of the second panel titled ‘One Nation, Under God, Indivisible,’ there is a small section that shows a Ku Klux Klan member,” the statement added. “Among many other symbols, the triptych also includes individuals who were instrumental in shaping principal events of that time, and symbols like the Tree of Life that depict how our nation has flourished despite its tragedies.”

In the image below, the hooded figure can be seen in the bottom left corner of the middle panel.

The whole piece was dedicated to West Point graduates who served in World War II and Korea on June 3, 1965, according to the military academy.

“West Point does not accept, condone, or promote racism, sexism, or any other biases,” its public affairs office said.

The science hall’s triptych also shows four individuals who served in the Confederacy — Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, and John M. Brooke — according to the commission’s report.

“The Commission believes these markers should be modified to remove the names and images from the panels that specifically commemorate individuals who voluntarily served in the Confederacy,” the report says.

However, the commission says that the imagery of Lee can stay at West Point because it reflects his position as a superintendent at West Point, not his time in the Confederate Army.

As for the KKK imagery, the report says “the marker falls outside the remit of the Commission; however, there are clearly ties in the KKK to the Confederacy.”

“The Commission encourages the Secretary of Defense to address DoD assets that highlight the KKK in Defense Memorialization processes and create a standard disposition requirement for such assets,” the report added.

Commission spokesman Stephen Baker told McClatchy News that the artwork, called the “History of the United States of America,” was created by private artist Laura Gardin Fraser. It represents her vision of how American history and culture has developed throughout three centuries.

West Point is reviewing the Naming Commission’s recommendations and will “implement changes, once approved,” its public affairs office said.

“As a values-based institution, we are fully committed to creating a climate where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”

West Point is located in New York state, 55 miles north of New York City.

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