Via press release from the Southern Poverty Law Center
OWENSBORO, Ky. – Yesterday afternoon, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) raised a billboard in support of the Owensboro NAACP Branch 3107, whose advocacy led the Daviess County Fiscal Court to unanimously vote to remove its Confederate monument. Despite that vote, the memorial remains in front of the Daviess County courthouse because the United Daughters of the Confederacy claimed ownership of the statue.
Said Lecia Brooks, the SPLC Chief of Staff and Culture:
“Instead of serving as a backdrop to oppressive reminders of racial hatred and inequality, the imagery located in and around courthouses and other government buildings should inspire confidence that all who enter can expect equal protection under the law.
“Confederate memorials, in all their forms, promote the opposite of equal justice. This statue – along with the 49 Confederate memorials scattered across Kentucky – were originally placed, and remain standing, to assert white supremacy.
“To their credit, the Daviess County Fiscal Court has already decided to leave this instrument of anti-Black racism behind, heeding the will of the community. Following through on the unanimous vote to remove this symbol of hate from the courthouse lawn will help set Owensboro on the right side of history. It is also a good step toward eliminating the perception of discrimination against Black people in favor of equity and respect.
“The Southern Poverty Law Center stands with the NAACP Branch 3107 and Owensboro community members in calling for the immediate removal of the Confederate monument. All who enter the Daviess County courthouse are deserving of an inclusive space free of racist symbols.”
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