Lawsuit filed against N.C. county to remove ‘Faithful Slaves’ monument

A group of residents in a small North Carolina county have initiated a federal lawsuit to request the removal of a Confederate-era monument that honors “our faithful slaves.”

The civic group known as The Concerned Citizens of Tyrrell County filed the lawsuit last week, stating that the monument on the county courthouse conveys a racially discriminatory message, which is in violation of the 14th Amendment.

The complete inscription, “In appreciation of our faithful slaves,” is said to promote a “pro-slavery message and a pro-Confederate message,” as per the lawsuit.

This 20-foot tall monument, standing for 122 years, depicts a Confederate soldier on a tall pedestal.

“It was erected in front of what would soon become the Tyrrell County Courthouse, which opened a few months later, to signal that the Black community members could not anticipate justice within that courthouse,” explained Ian Mance, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, in a statement to CNN.

The monument was revealed in 1902 in the presence of around 3,000 people, as reported by The Washington Post here.