Debate Over Confederate Monuments

Breken Terry was outside the Lauderdale County Courthouse where people are wondering whether to take down the confederate monument.

To keep people safe.

As you heard - people in north alabama tell waay31 it's time to see confederate monuments taken down here too.

Confederate monuments are at just about every courthouse in our area.

Waay 31's breken terry is live at one of them, breken?

For years this monument has stood here outside of the lauderdale county courthouse like many others in north alabama.

With birmingham taking its down -- some wonder if they can do the same thing here.

<bennett- it was freedom.

That's how shoals activist camille bennett desribed what it was like seeing the birmigham confederate monument removed.

Bennett- i think that alabama has a responsibility regardless of how long ago that was to atone.

Bennett said she'd like to see other confederate monuments like this one outside of the lauderdale county courthouse removed.

Bennett- it's right there at the courthouse so if your going there to plead your case oh by the way you have to walk passed a symbol of racial terror and it's not okay.

If counties or cities remove confederate monuments they could face a 25,000 fine.

The state made it illegal to do so in 2017.

In the past, governor kay ivey called these monuments part of alabama history that can't be changed or erased.

Not everyone agrees.

15:56 odom- one of the goals of our go fund me fundraiser is to remove one last barrier for the local government to take action so we don't want that 25,000 to be the hold up.

David odom is with the tennessee valley progressive alliance.

It's raising money to take down the confederate monument outside of the madison county courthouse.

12:14 odom- i think local leaders across north al now see that we need to act on this and we need to move.

This is a movement we can no longer ignore.

Both bennett and odom's groups have done extensive research on these monuments and say history shows these monuments were built to remember but to surpress.

In florence - breken terry - waay