The Alamo is no stranger to battles...the first notable one in 1836. In the last decade, there has been controversy over restoring the Alamo, and how to preserve and modernize the shrine for visitors while maintaining the historical integrity. The latest battle in that restoration fight is not about logistics or locations, but politics. A group of left-wing critics are pushing to have the Alamo include a larger focus on the plight of slaves and Native Americans during that era.
This people behind this movement are some of the same ones behind the 2021 book "Forget the Alamo," which falsely claimed that slavery was the driving factor behind the battle for the Alamo. "The facts support that this fight was about liberty, it was not about slavery, and these few woke malcontents just can't stand that," says Jerry Patterson, former Texas Land Commissioner.
This particular fight is about the statue depicting a Black slave named Joe, who by historical accounts appeared at the battle with a gun. "There are those who say we don't want to depict him with a firearm, because that makes it look like he was fighting for Texas independence, or it makes it look like he was a happy slave," says Patterson. "The fact is, we don't know why he was carrying a firearm...but it's a wonderful question to ponder if you're actually interested in factually accurate history."
This woke interpretation of Texas history has been growing in recent years, but Patterson is among those pushing back. He has a website, 1836truth.com, which sets the record straight about the Battle of the Alamo.
Ultimately, Patterson warns if these activists get their way, they will essentially remove the Alamo from the Alamo. "If you do not focus on what happened in 1836, there's no reason for people to go there," he tells KTRH. "1836 is the hook, 1836 is the legendary struggle for freedom known the world over, and if you deemphasize that, then it will be just another library, if you will."
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