Monument remains at courthouse

The Neshoba County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Monday morning not to remove the Confederate monument in front of the courthouse.

District 5 Supervisor Obbie Riley was the lone vote to move the monument to another location. 

The Black Empowerment Organization requested removal of the monument arguing its presence invokes “intimidation and racial prejudice,” according to organizer Tiffon Moore.

About 700 people signed an online petition but Moore told supervisors they had over 1,000 signatures including those on paper.

“BEO is pushing for change in a better environment for our children,” Moore said. “We no longer want to be known for hate. BEO has received threats of violence, such as hateful emails, and we have reported these incidents to the Philadelphia Police Department. These hateful actions further indicate the need for love, compassion and unity among the citizens of Philadelphia, Mississippi. We are calling on the Board of Supervisors to help make this change. United we stand, divided we fall.”

“We are not asking for the monument to be destroyed, but we are asking for it to be moved to a different location,” Moore told supervisors. “Eighty-five percent of the people who come through these courthouse doors are black, and to see that monument every time they walk through those doors, is disheartening for so many of us. We’ve noticed the monument there for so many years now, but none of us have has the strength to step forward and speak up and say something about it. This is not coming from a place of hate, but from a place of love. We have received serious threats for using our First Amendment rights and freedom of speech and demonstrate peacefully, and we haven’t had any issues.”

Several people spoke briefly in favor and against the move.

Riley said that the monument should be moved to a more suited place to be preserved with other marks of history. 

“It is a military monument,” he said. “It deserves the same respect as anything else that represents the military. It marks a lost war, and should be treated with respect. A better place for it would be a military park or museum.”

District 4 Supervisor Kevin Wilcher was opposed to relocating the monument.

“That monument is a representation to soldiers who lost their lives in a battle. The monument itself needs to stay right where it’s at,” he said.

“I’ve had numerous calls this week over the statue and have asked me to leave the statue be,” he continued. “I thought about it, and have been thinking about it, but it was them that put the icing on the cake.” 

“I like everybody,” he said. “I’m an elected official who tries to help everyone, not just one person, but all people.”