A group of residents in a small North Carolina county filed a federal lawsuit to remove a Confederate-era monument that pays tribute to "our faithful slaves."
The civic group called The Concerned Citizens of Tyrrell County filed the suit last week claiming the monument that sits atop the county courthouse "expresses a racially discriminatory message," in violation of the 14th Amendment.
The full inscription, which reads, "In appreciation of our faithful slaves" promotes a "pro-slavery message and a pro-Confederate message," according to the lawsuit.
The 20-foot tall structure, which is 122 years old, features a Confederate soldier standing on a tall pedestal.
"It was put up in the front yard of what was soon to be the Tyrrell County Courthouse, which opened a few months later, to communicate to people that members of the Black community could not expect to get justice inside of that courthouse," Ian Mance, one attorney for the plaintiffs, told CNN.
The monument was unveiled in 1902, witnessed by a crowd of about 3,000 people, The Washington Post reported.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.