African-American leaders call governor to remove Jefferson Davis statue

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ)- More than a hundred people packed into the state capitol rotunda this morning, to rally for the removal of the Jefferson Davis statue.

The statue has stood inside the capitol for decades.

Members of the Kentucky Black Legislative Caucus along with the NAACP and several other local organizations hosted a rally here at the capitol to call for the immediate removal of the Jefferson Davis statue.

Supporters from across the state packed into the capitol rotunda to listen to a group of African American leaders explain why they believe the statue of the president of the confederacy needs to be moved.

“The confederates didn’t win and the confederates where willing to secede from the union but yet they’re the ones who are being honored which is truly sad,” said Marilyn Dishman of Lexington.

For more than a decade, these leaders have been fighting to get the statue removed, saying it symbolizes oppression and slavery.

But not everyone agrees with that, some saying the statue symbolizes different things for different people and should stay where it is.

“Leave it alone. These statues don’t bother nobody. I mean it could be somebody you’re related to. You want to come up and visit or see and it means a lot to you. It might not mean nothing to nobody else but to you it’s family,” said Mary Murphy of Eastern Kentucky.

Still. these leaders say in it’s current location, the statue is doing more harm than good and are now calling on Governor Matt Bevin, who has publicly opposed removing the statue, to support it’s removal now.

“Hopefully the governor will respond. If not the Governor, the legislature. We’re looking to make progress,” said Raoul Cunningham, president of the Kentucky chapter of the NAACP.

Many of the state representatives at the rally say that if the Governor does not take action on this issue then they will propose a bill during the next legislative session to have the statue removed.