Confederate statue to be removed from Lowndes Co. courthouse

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - A divided Lowndes County Board of Supervisors agree on one thing.

In a vote Monday, supervisors voted to move the confederate monument from in front of the courthouse.

That’s a big turn around from the no vote cast on June 15th. That’s the vote that prompted racist comments from then-President Harry Sanders to a local newspaper.

Since then, residents of Lowndes County, business managers and owners, and the LINK and the Chamber have all condemned those statements, calling for Sanders to resign his seat on the board.

That still hasn’t happened.

But the statue could be leaving downtown Columbus. It’s sat on the courthouse lawn since 1912.

The board voted unanimously to move the statue to Friendship Cemetery. The statue currently sits on county-owned property. The cemetery is owned by the city. Columbus city leaders have said they’ll split the cost of the move.

Monday’s vote is just the beginning. The county still has to get approval from the State Archives and History and find an adequate place for it at Friendship Cemetery.

Bids also have to take place on the cost of moving the statue.

Supervisor Leroy Brooks says it could take two to three months.