Lowndes Monument

Emotions were running high during today's lowndes county board of supervisors meeting the topic was a confederate monument.

Emotions were running high during today's lowndes county board of supervisors meeting... the topic..

The confederate monument outside the courthouse... district 5 supervisor leroy brooks made a motion to have the monument removed within 90 days.... the motion failed in a 3 to 2 vote... our quentin smith was at today's meeting... so quentin..why did some supervisors vote against the motion??

Scott... board president harry sanders says the monument doesn't need to be moved because of the history it represents... however, some in attendance including the lowndes county chapter of the naacp..

Say áthatá history is dark and painful..

Now..

They're calling for it to be moved to another location... nat district 5 supervisor leroy brooks made this passionate and emotional plea calling for the confederate monument that sits outside the courthouse to be moved.

That motion failed... while he's disappointed, brooks says he's not surprised by the board's decision.

" to me that monument serves no intrinsic value, and all we were saying is move it to friendship cemetery.

We're not talking about tearing it down, it's a more appropriate place for it to be, so here we are delaying the inevitable."

"first off i don't think the statue needs to be removed."

Board president harry sanders was one of the three supervisors that voted against the motion.... sanders says the confederate monument should stay because of its historic value..

" i don't think that anything needs to be forgotten about how slavery was not right, i'm not saying this honors the south or anything, it honors the people who died during the war between the states, and i don't think it's something that needs to be forgotten."

"i'm pained by the reality that it reflects a part of the history of this state that many of us are not proud of."

After the board's decision the lowndes county chapter of the naacp and other community leaders who were in favor of the removal.... held a press conference voicing their frustrations.

They believe moving the monument to friendship cemetery is ideal because it still gives people a place for public viewing... along with the removal, they're also asking that a new monument, one that unifies the state as a whole, replace the current one outside city hall.... " there comes a time when an appeal for decency and respect all people is necessary, even when it's not necessarily a popular opinion amongst a certain group."

" to be given a 90 day window for a removal, and when it was time to vote on that motion it was an immediate dismissal of it without true concern, true hearing, true consideration, that is unacceptable.

We as a community, as voters have voices and we have to use them.."

Those who are calling for the removal of the statue... also say they want to see the state adopt a new flag// the board is set to meet again on june 30th.

At this time it's there's no word on whether this issue will be addressed again during that meeting.