Local

NC statue marking graves of Confederate soldiers toppled

greensboro confederate monument (News & Record)
(News & Record)

GREENSBORO, N.C. — A Confederate monument has been toppled in a Greensboro cemetery.

The News & Record reported Wednesday that the statue of a musket-carrying soldier had stood for a century to mark the graves of about 300 unknown Confederate soldiers.

The monument, which is owned by the the Daughters of the Confederacy, was toppled over the July 4th weekend at the city owned Green Hill Cemetery. The Sons of the Confederate Veterans takes care of the memorial and condemned its toppling in a statement.

City spokesman Jake Keys said it’s unknown who is responsible.

The statue is now being held in storage off-site. Its future is unknown.

Confederate monuments have been under scrutiny for years, but the focus was redirected in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, a black man who was killed at the hands of the Minneapolis police on Memorial Day. His death has sparked discussions about systemic racism and police brutality nationwide.

Monuments across our area have started to come down. Late Monday night, the Confederate statue known as “Fame” was removed from downtown Salisbury after more than 100 years. The following day, a statue in Anson County was moved and on Wednesday, without warning, another was removed in Charlotte.

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