In Grenada, Mississippi, a Confederate monument that had stood in the town’s courthouse square since 1910 was quietly dismantled and relocated earlier this month. The monument had been shrouded in tarps for four years, a symbol of the town’s unresolved divisions over how to remember its Confederate past. The decision to move the 20-foot statue came after years of debate, following a 2020 vote by the city council to relocate it in the wake of nationwide protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd. A new city administration took office in May, determined to carry out the move despite continued opposition.
The relocation has sparked fresh controversy, with a Republican lawmaker from outside the area, Rep. Stacey Hobgood-Wilkes, challenging the legality of the move. Hobgood-Wilkes argued that the city is violating a state law that restricts the relocation of war memorials. She suggested that the statue be moved to a Confederate cemetery closer to the courthouse, and claimed that the Ladies Cemetery Association is willing to offer land to the city for this purpose. Despite these objections, the monument is now set to be placed behind a fire station, about 3.5 miles from its original location, a decision that Mayor Charles Latham says is final.
Mayor Latham, Grenada’s first Black mayor in two decades, acknowledged the monument has been a “divisive figure” in a town where the majority of residents are Black. While some residents see the statue as a symbol of heritage, others view it as a painful reminder of the Confederacy’s defense of slavery and the subsequent history of racial violence. Latham emphasized that moving the monument was a necessary step to address the concerns of those who have long felt oppressed by the Confederate imagery. Still, he faces criticism from both sides of the debate, with some calling for the monument to be placed in a more prominent location.
The monument’s history is tied to the early 20th century, when groups like the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected such statues across the South to promote the Lost Cause narrative, which sought to romanticize the Confederacy’s fight in the Civil War. Grenada’s monument, which features images of Confederate president Jefferson Davis and a Confederate battle flag, had long been a fixture of the town’s landscape. It had also played a role in civil rights history: in 1966, during a rally led by Martin Luther King Jr., a U.S. flag was planted atop the statue, challenging its symbolism.
Despite the relocation, many in Grenada feel the process has been fraught with poor communication. Lori Chavis, a city council member, said that the tarps covering the statue only deepened divisions in the town and that few residents were aware of where the monument would be moved. Now tucked away behind a fire station, out of view from the main road, the statue’s new location has prompted further frustration from those who feel left out of the decision-making process. Still, Mayor Latham insists the move is complete, and the city cannot afford to revisit the issue after spending $30,000 of the $60,000 allocated for the project.
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