Kentucky historians urge removal of Jefferson Davis statue

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – Dozens of historians from 16 colleges and universities in Kentucky have called for a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis to be removed from the state Capitol.

The Lexington Herald-Leader (http://bit.ly/1igxNTc ) reports that 72 current and former history professors signed a letter recently sent to Gov. Steve Beshear and the Kentucky Historic Properties Advisory Commission, urging officials to take down the statue.

The commission voted 7-2 in early August to keep the statue in the Capitol, where it stands with statues of four other prominent Kentuckians. The panel also voted to establish a committee to give the statues more historical context

Confederate symbols have come under increased public scrutiny since the June 17 massacre of nine black worshippers at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.

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Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.