A group of black Kentucky leaders rallied Wednesday to demand the removal of a Confederate statue of Jefferson Davis from the state’s capitol building.
Roughly 100 people gathered outside the rotunda to demand the statue be moved to a museum in a rally hosted by the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, Whas 11 reported.
“This statue tribute to a traitor was erected in 1936 to serve as an everlasting symbol of white supremacy. And it served its purpose. We get it,” said Dr. Betty Sue Griffin, a speaker at the rally. “This tribute to Jefferson Davis has reminded every African-American boy, girl, man and woman that enters these hallowed halls for the past 81 years that Kentucky supported the institution of slavery. It’s time for his retirement.”
The statue honoring Davis, the president of the Confederacy, has been in the state capitol building since 1936. Other civil rights organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have tried to get the statue taken down in the past but were unsuccessful.
“If it stays, it’s a symbol of debauchery and bigotry and racism endorsed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Democrat Sen. Gerald Neal said regarding the statue.
Rally organizers sent Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin a letter Monday stating their demands about the statue.
“No one individual should be making these decisions,” he said last month when asked about the statue. “We’ve got to remember where we came from, we’ve got to know who we are. We better have a sense of vision of purpose as to where we are going and we should be very thoughtful with respect to what we think of as the right symbols to show that.”
The governor’s office did not return The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment in time for publication.
Send tips to amber@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.