Monument Removed Amid Controversy
A Confederate monument that stood in the Grenada courthouse square for over a century will remain in storage while a legal battle unfolds over its future. Grenada Mayor Charles Latham confirmed on Friday that the monument, dismantled last week, is stored in a secure location, though he did not disclose its exact whereabouts. The monument’s removal comes after years of debate, but its final resting place is now subject to a lawsuit.
Lawsuit Over Monument’s Future
The monument’s removal has sparked legal action from James L. Jones, chaplain of a Sons of Confederate Veterans chapter, and Susan M. Kirk, a long-time Grenada resident. They filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, asserting that the statue belongs on the courthouse square, where it had stood since 1910. The plaintiffs argue that the square holds significant historical and cultural value to the city.
Relocation Plans and the City Council’s Decision
The Grenada City Council voted to move the monument in 2020, following nationwide protests over racial injustice sparked by the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. The city also sought permission from the state to relocate the statue and discussed funding options for the move. On October 4, a work crew dismantled the 20-foot statue, which features a Confederate soldier alongside carved images of Confederate president Jefferson Davis and the Confederate battle flag.
The city proposed relocating the monument to a site behind a fire station, approximately 3.5 miles from its original location in the town square. However, the lawsuit contends this is not an appropriate or equivalent site.
Debate Over Symbolism and Division
Mayor Latham, who took office in May, acknowledged that the monument has been a source of division in the town of 12,300 residents, where 57% of the population is Black and 40% is white. “It’s been divisive, and we want to move forward,” Latham said.
Some local residents believe the statue should be placed in a Confederate cemetery in Grenada, rather than a public site.
