Public speaks out on Confederate statues

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Urban County Arts Review Board heard a lot of different opinions at a public meeting Monday night about how the city should display two Confederate statues in the heart of downtown Lexington. The board is looking at both the placement and the accompanying text associated with the statues of John Hunt Morgan and John C. Breckinridge, who were both Confederate generals. The board is also looking at what should be done, if anything, to a historical marker downtown that gives the site’s history as a slave market.

Some people at the forum asked that the statues remain in place, while others said they should be moved because they send a racist message to anyone who sees them, including visitors. The board heard from local historians and other experts at an earlier meeting. The board is scheduled to meet September 30 from 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. to talk about what recommendations it will make to Mayor Jim Gray and the Urban County Council. That report is expected to be submitted in November, according to the board chairwoman.