In Mississippi, individual bronzed Confederate sentries have spent decades standing mute watch over the county courthouse in some 50 of the states counties. But the process has been more genteel, despite the gunplay in Gulfport last week, with county boards of supervisors putting cancel culture to a vote.
Thats the goal of activists in Harrison County on Mississippis Gulf Coast, who led Thursdays rally urging elected officials to vote the statue down.
John Whitfield of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church said, addressing a crowd of some 40 people in the courthouse square, nearly evenly split between supporters and opponents.
This statues purpose is intimidation and to send a message to African-Americans that they are not welcome, and sends a signal that justice is not available to all races that come before this court.
Several White men, some armed and some wearing bulletproof vests, stood alongside a Black protester carrying an assault rifle.
Almost all of the votes came after the state legislature voted in June to remove the Confederate battle flag from the states banner, the last such symbol still in use among U.S.
In this summer of rage against statues, ignited by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, at least five Magnolia State counties Bolivar, Leflore, Lowndes, Noxubee and Washington have voted to remove their Confederate courthouse statues.
When asked about the removal of Confederate statues, 41% of Americans overall said they approved, 39% said they disapproved, and 20% said they had no opinion on the issue.
Original article