Wilmington community leaders discuss continued impact of the Confederacy

Updated: Aug. 21, 2019 at 9:50 PM EDT
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WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The Port City community gathered Wednesday night to continue the conversation about Confederate monuments and the lasting impact of the Confederacy on the community.

The meeting held at Tek Mountain was the second installment of public forums on the topic.

Leaders discussed the disparities seen in education, health and economic advancement between black and white communities in Wilmington still felt 150 years after the end of the Civil War.

Panelists included representatives from the NAACP, community activists, authors, attorneys and descendants of the victims of 1898. Each spoke about their experience living in the community and the challenges they have overcome.

Much of Wednesday night’s conversation was centered around Confederate Monuments in Wilmington and whether or not the statues conveyed the right message to visitors and the generations to come.

“We think the statues should be in a museum. We do understand that George Davis does have relatives here. Maybe they will find a place, personal property, or somewhere else where they can preserve that part of their history,” said National Black Leadership Caucus Director Sonya Patrick.

The National Black Leadership Caucus also called upon the participants to act and work on formal plans to organize and petition to move the symbols out of some of Wilmington’s most trafficked areas.

State law protects the Confederate Statues and North Carolina’s historical commission must approve before they are removed.

You can find the petition to remove Confederate Statues in Downtown Wilmington here.

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