Clara Barton

The plaque depicting a Ku Klux Klan member (left) was ordered to be demolished by the Naming Commission, which was an arm of the Department of Defense that is charged with reviewing and upgrading military assets that honor Confederate figures. Although the plaque's fate is uncertain because the Naming Commission has no information regarding non-Confederate figures and the US Army has declined to say whether or not they'll follow the order, West Point defended the monument. The plaque, according to a prestigious academy, is only a small part of a larger bronze mural (right) depicting both the good and evil of American history. Laura Gardin Fraser (inset), an American sculptor who was hired to design the panels and wanted to create art that represented the principal events of that time, thereby capturing both tragedy and triumph in our nation's history.'

The engraving at the prestigious military academy, which is located in Upstate New York, 50 miles north of New York City, is part of a massive mural depicting various aspects of US history on one of the country's oldest campus buildings. The sprawling display, which was carved into three bronze plaques that adorned the structure's entrance, features a variety of images associated with Americana, including photographs of Civil War-era plantations and the Founding Fathers. The installation, which was more than a half-century old, was one of hundreds of structures flagged in a report issued by the Congressional Naming Commission on Monday, which was a task force established by Congress last year to send suggestions to the Department of Defense (DOD) on renaming US military installations associated with the rebel army. The paper was primarily devoted to Confederate markers at both West Point and the US Naval Academy in Maryland, and officials quoted over a dozen buildings between both bases, most of which depict Confederate figures such as Robert E. Lee. However, the commission has decided that it would not request the removal of the KKK decoration, which decorates the entrance of the Bartlett Hall Science Center, just months after the Civil War, and therefore falls outside of its jurisdiction. Rather, the commission has simply recommended that it be taken down. The sentiment has since sparked outrage around the world, with Americans pointing out the absurdity of a group that can freely nix names connected to their nation's history but not have the authority to remove an explicitly racist artifact. Despite being built in 1937, DailyMail.com shows the other aspects of the plaque, which also includes non-racist photos of important abolitionists and historical female figures, such as Clara Barton and Susan B. Anthony.