NO ANNEXATION
Hawaii News Now - November 11, 2024
A new sign was installed at McKinley High School on Monday to address a misconception about Hawaii’s history.
The plaque unveiled by the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs (AOHCC) was placed in front of the statue of the school’s namesake to address the misrepresentation of Hawaii’s invalid annexation history.
The statue of President William Mckinley holds a “Treaty of Annexation” document that was never ratified by the United States Senate and portrays an inaccurate history.
Since 2009, AOHCC has advocated for the correction of this portrayal of history around this statue, and in 2020, it called for the installation of this plaque.
“We are grateful for the cooperation of the Hawaii Department of Education and the administration of McKinley High School for supporting the installation of this plaque,” said Julian Ako, past 1st Vice President of the AOHCC who spearheaded this effort.
“We celebrate this achievement in correcting this historical misrepresentation, acknowledging that the plaque is just one means of addressing the broader issue of accurately representing our history.”
The organization said this is ongoing concern underscores the long-standing political and cultural ramifications of this historical distortion.
With advocates speaking up about these inaccuracies about Hawaii’s history, there have also been efforts in the past to change the name of the McKinley High School due to the president’s role in the annexation.
