Lafayette County Democratic Party Releases Statement on Confederate Statue

Here is the statement: 

 

On July 6, the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted “no” on moving the Confederate monument from the Square. The Lafayette County Democratic Party strongly disagrees with and condemns the vote, which runs counter to the principles of our party.

In 2020, it is shocking that anyone would vote to keep an ugly reminder of the systemic racism in our county in a place, our Courthouse square, that is supposed to represent equal protection of the law for all our citizens. Chancellor Glenn Boyce, committing the University to the removal of its monument, could not have stated it more simply: “This is a time for change … That monument has divided this campus[.]” This county, too, is needlessly divided. Now is the time for change.

President Obama stated, “If we keep taking steps toward a more perfect union, and close the gaps between who we are and who we want to be, America will move forward.” The Board had the opportunity to take a step forward. Instead, it voted to remain mired in a history of racial division. Their vote damages Oxford and Lafayette County.

There will be no perfect union in our county so long as the descendants of slaves—citizens—must pass under the gaze of a monument erected to honor those who fought to preserve an economy founded on slavery by a society that enforced segregation well into the 20th century.

Recently, we watched black and white football players and many others who are an integral part of this community walk under that monument toward who we want to be. We joined them. So did our families and friends. We will continue to do so.

We will keep revisiting this issue until we are who we want to be. We urge each supervisor to do so too.

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Courtesy of the Lafayette County Democratic Party