Local NAACP Chief Calls for Removal of Confederate Soldier Statue: Media Report

The future is looking murky for the 12-foot statue of a Confederate soldier that stands on the grounds of the Loudoun County courthouse in Leesburg.

Controversy is swirling around symbols of the Confederacy in the wake of the tragedy last month in Charleston, S.C., in which nine members of a historically black church were shot to death in a racially motivated incident.

The Confederate battle flag is drawing new scrutiny, but monuments like the statue at the Leesburg courthouse are also receiving fresh criticism. The president of the Loudoun County branch of the NAACP has called for the staue’s removal, WJLA-TV Channel 7 (ABC) reported.

More on Patch: National Park Service Bans Confederate Battle Flag

Phillip Thompson, the NAACP official, suggested that the statue could be moved to the Balls Bluff Battlefield Regional Park north of town, the site of an 1861 Civil War battle.

But other Leesburg residents told Channel 7 that they want the statue to stay put. They view it not as a symbol of racism, but as a way to honor all of the Confederate soldiers who were killed in the Civil War.

Besides the Battle of Balls Bluff, other Civil War engagements spilled into Loudoun County. To get a peek at Loudoun’s past, check out the Virginia Civil War Trails website here.