By Aria Pons
FLORENCE, Ala. (WAFF) - The Confederate statue at the Lauderdale County Courthouse will stay put despite the efforts of a non-profit to have it moved.
The founder of Project Say Something Camille Bennett said she has been involved in the fight to move it for about seven years. She said she does not want to statue destroyed, just moved away from the courthouse. That is not happening, but it looks like the city could see a new marker giving it some historical context.
Florence city leaders and nonprofit members in the Shoals are working together in order to create a marker to place in front of a Confederate statue to highlight the history of it.
Bennett said she would like the Confederate Statue known as “Eternal Vigil” moved from in front of the courthouse. However, she said for now the marker is a step in the right direction.
“It would make history,” Bennett said. “It’s important because it educates the community. It’s not necessarily about putting one side against the other. It’s about education and it’s about telling the truth about what was said when the confederate monument was erected and how it impacts black lives.”
Bennett said the marker will address the history of why the statue was placed here. She said that includes comments made during its dedication speech from 1903 that said “blacks are not equal to whites in the south.”
“Every time you look at this confederate monument,” Bennet said. “We understand what it means and we understand that it means that our stories can’t be told. That our perspective, the black perspective, cannot be told and we think that is a gross injustice.”
She believes that everyone should know the facts behind the statue and be able to decide for themselves how they feel about it.
“We just want a marker,” Bennett explained. “And our hope is that some of our students, schools will come and visit the marker. And also look at the confederate monument. It’s just a way for them to really think through what all of it means and draw their own conclusion.”
City leaders have said both groups are still discussing where the marker will go and what could be written on it.
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