Relocating the Confederate Statue in Gainesville, Florida
2015
In 1904 amid speeches, barbeques and fanfare, the United Daughters of the Confederacy Kirby Smith Chapter No. 202 placed a statue, “ In Memory of the Confederate Dead 1861 – 1865,” in front of what was then the county courthouse. The 18-foot statue is supported on a pedestal made of Georgia granite. The monument was funded through private contributions and that final list of donors is purportedly sealed within. The courthouse has long been replaced by newer buildings, over time trees and roads have grown up around the statue. On August 22, 2015, one hundred and eleven years later the Confederate Statue’s symbolism is revisited through lectures and public discussion asking these questions: Should it be removed from its present public space? Could it fit into a modern public sphere?
Speakers Paul Ortiz, Zoharah Simmons, Malini Schueller, Nailah Summers, Jack Price, Carol Thomas, and attending members of the community provide valuable insight for those interested in probing this discussion.