A federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday aims to remove a Confederate monument marked “in appreciation of our faithful slaves” from the courthouse grounds in Tyrrell County, North Carolina.
The lawsuit was initiated by the Concerned Citizens of Tyrrell County, a civic group addressing issues affecting local Black residents, along with several of its members. They are suing the county’s commissioners, claiming that the monument represents racially discriminatory government speech, violating the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.
Tyrrell County, located in eastern North Carolina, has a population of a few thousand residents. The contested monument, erected in 1902, features a Confederate soldier atop a pedestal with inscriptions that include a reference to “faithful slaves.” The lawsuit argues that the monument promotes a racist and offensive message, suggesting that enslaved Black people in the county preferred slavery over freedom.
