The town of Grenada, Mississippi has finally taken down a Confederate monument that had been a source of division within the community. The monument, which had been covered in tarps for the past four years, was removed from the courthouse square where it had stood since 1910. The decision to relocate the monument to other public land was made by the city council in 2020, following the killing of George Floyd and the retirement of the last state flag in the U.S. featuring the Confederate emblem.
The new mayor, Grenada’s first Black mayor in two decades, and the city council have been determined to move the monument. Despite a Republican lawmaker’s letter claiming that the city might be violating a state law restricting the relocation of war memorials, the monument was dismantled and taken to a new location behind a fire station about 3.5 miles away from the square. The mayor, Charles Latham, acknowledged the divisive nature of the monument in the town of 12,300 residents, where about 57% are Black and 40% are white.
The decision to move the Confederate monument has stirred mixed reactions within the community. While some residents, like artist Robin Whitfield, are glad to see it moved, others believe it is erasing history or see it as a symbol of white supremacy. The monument in Grenada, like many others in the South, was erected in the early 20th century to promote the Lost Cause mythology of the Civil War and has faced renewed scrutiny in recent years.
Despite concerns about potential lawsuits and disagreement over the new location, the city has proceeded with the relocation, investing $60,000 in the move. A few other Confederate monuments in Mississippi have also been relocated in recent years, as communities grapple with the legacy and symbolism of these divisive symbols. The removal of the Confederate monument in Grenada represents a step towards reckoning with the town’s complex history and moving towards a more inclusive future.
