Despite Mississippi Rep. Stacey Hobgood-Wilkes (Rep.-Picayune) urging the City Council to reconsider relocating the Confederate Monument during Monday night’s meeting, crews began relocating the aging monument early this morning.
To the surprise of businessowners and employees of businesses on the Downtown Square, the roads leading to and around the area where the statue has stood for decades, were blocked off to make way for boom trucks being used to lower and load the statue onto an awaiting 18-wheeler. Several months back, the Council voted to spend more than $60,000 on its relocation.
“Upon coming to the office this morning, we found out that the entire Downtown Square is blocked off today,” the Grenada County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media just after 7 a.m. “If you have business at the Courthouse or business on the Square today, you won’t be able to park on the Square. We weren’t aware that the Square would be blocked off today nor how long it will be blocked off.”
Rep. Stacey Hobgood-Wilkes (Rep.-Picayune) speaks to the Grenada City Council Monday night about the relocation of the Confederate Statue as Ward 3 Councilman Lewis Johnson looks on. | Photo by Adam Prestridge © 2024 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Rep. Hobgood-Wilkes, who represents Dist. 108 in Pearl River County, took to the podium Monday night explaining to Councilmembers that the law requires that the statue be relocated to a suitable location.
“I know that the monument is going to be moved soon and I know that the Attorney General’s Office has spoken numerous times with the City Attorney (Mary Brown), and back-and-forth,” she said. “There are several things that we have going on that I would like for you to consider before you move the monument.”
Rep. Hobgood-Wilkes went on to to explain that the permit that the City received from Mississippi Department of Archives & History involves the Code section dealing with the Antiquities Law 39-7-3.
“That doesn’t have anything to do with a suitable location,” she added. “That has to do with the ground, archeological things – making sure it’s not a beach – things like that to make sure that the monument is moved safely without damage. That does not address suitable location.”
Rep. Hobgood-Wilkes continued stating that MDAH “has not acknowledged” that the location where the statue is being moved – tucked away in a small patch of woods behind Grenada Fire Station 3 on Hwy. 51 S., next to Emmanuel Baptist Church, not visible to the public – as a suitable location. She added that she requested and reviewed Council Meeting minutes dating back to 2020 through present that make no mention of the new site.
The Confederate Statue will be located in a small area carved out in the woods behind Grenada Fire Station 3 on Hwy. 51 S., next to Emmanuel Baptist Church. | Photo by Adam Prestridge © 2024 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
“There was one meeting where you voted to cover (it with a) tarp until it was moved to another location,” she said. “The location was never specified. According to all the minutes provided and the Attorney General requested minutes too showing that the location at the fire station was voted on not approved on any minutes that we’ve seen. So, there’s not been a vote taken to move it to that location.”
In addition, Rep. Hobgood-Wilkes reminded the Council that several alternative options for both moving and a relocation site for the statue have been expressed by numerous city residents. All other options have fallen on deaf ears.
“This is causing divisiveness that doesn’t have to be had and done,” she continued.
Several residents were also in attendance Monday night voicing their concerns. They all agreed that the city’s Confederate Cemetery is the “most suitable” relocation site for the statue.
“With the men that died and lost their lives in that conflict, the Confederate Cemetery is the most suitable location,” Rep. Hobgood-Wilkes concluded. “That Archives & History permit does not grant that. And if you go to the Webster dictionary and look up ‘suitable,’ and look at the locations that have been presented, there’s really no question. So, if the city proceeds forward, I’m sure that there will be litigation. I do realize that you want it gone for the Jubilee – I do understand that – but it’s not too late to just remove the tarp and let’s get this done and moved one time, so it doesn’t have to be moved twice, moved to the appropriate location.”
Later that night, the Council addressed Item 6 regarding Potential Litigation – Downtown Monument in Executive Session and voted 5-2 to proceed with moving the statue to the city’s proposed site, which preparations began on several weeks ago. According to Mayor Charles H. Latham, Warren B. Cox (Ward 1), Fredreick “Pete” Wilson (Ward 2), Lewis Johnson (Ward 3), Michael D. Smith (Ward 4) and Eric Harris (Ward 5) voted to proceed with the monument’s relocation. Ward 6 Councilwoman Lori Chavis and Ward 7 Councilman Ronald J. Merriman both cast no votes.
For more on this story, see next week’s edition of The Grenada Star.
