BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB)–Across the country statues commemorating the Confederacy are drawing debate, particularly when they sit on public land. The argument is often split over heritage versus hate.
One of these statues stands outside the Manatee County Courthouse. Rodney Jones, President of the Manatee NAACP, passes the statue every day.
“You walk right by it,” Jones said. “Never paid attention to it.”
Until one day, Jones stopped and really looked at it.
“It’s a very dark history and a very dark time for many African Americans in this country, so it’s not something that we would celebrate,” Jones said.
The statue reads “In memory of our confederate soldiers” and pays tribute to General Robert E. Lee and General Stonewall Jackson. Donated in 1924 by the Daughters of the Confederacy the statue has sat right next to the county courthouse for nearly a century…
Source: Manatee Confederate Memorial Draws Debate | News | mysuncoast.com