The Museum of the Mississippi Delta has decided not to accept the Confederate statue that is to be relocated from the Leflore County Courthouse because of the controversy surrounding the monument and the physical limitations of the museum building for housing it.
The Leflore County Board of Supervisors voted June 22 to relocate the monument. The board’s four Black members voted for removal; the only white supervisor, Sam Abraham, was absent from the meeting but later said he would have voted against it.
The supervisors will work with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to make sure the monument is transferred safely to a suitable location.
A number of Civil War monuments in the South have been moved recently, with many people saying they are reminders of the era of slavery. Supporters of the structures say they represent Southern heritage.
Katie Mills, interim executive director of the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, said the debate surrounding the monument would go against the museum’s values.
“The Museum of the Mississippi Delta has worked diligently to create an inclusive and accepting environment for all. I believe we can all agree that the environment surrounding these monuments is complex and very controversial,” said Mills. “With such divisiveness, it would be contrary to our commitment to provide an inclusive environment if the statue were relocated to the museum.”
Timothy Stanciel, president of the museum board, said moving the monument to the museum would “cause a divide and counteract our mission. We are incredibly grateful for the trust the public has put in the museum, but we must stay true to our mission,” he said.
Also, although the monument is a piece of the Delta’s history, housing something of that size would be a difficult challenge, Mills said.
Leflore County District 2 Supervisor Reginald Moore, vice president of the board, said the response was not prompted by the board and that “at no point in time did we address moving the monument to them.” Moore said the board is still working with the Department of Archives and History to find a suitable place for the statue.
District 5 Supervisor Robert Collins, the board’s president, said he’s unsure who addressed the museum about the relocation.
Troy Brown Sr., who called for the monument’s removal and suggested to the board that it be transferred to the museum, said that “wherever it winds up being, as long as it’s not on public grounds, I’m OK with it.”
• Contact Adam Bakst at 581-7233 or abakst@gwcommonwealth.com. Twitter: @AdamBakst_GWCW
