Tampa Confederate Memorial Removal Gets Green Light

TAMPA, FL — The Confederate memorial that sat outside the Hillsborough County courthouse in downtown Tampa for years will soon get a new home. After much debate, commissioners voted Wednesday to remove the statue and give it back to the Florida Daughters of the Confederacy for relocation.

The issue first came up for a vote in June, but commissioners at that time agreed to keep the statue in place. Instead of relocating the monument, they agreed in June to create a “diversity mural” behind it.

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Commissioner Les Miller, however, vowed earlier this month to bring the issue back up in hopes of gaining agreement the statue should be given back to the Daughters of the Confederacy. Miller’s second run at the issue was prompted by an outpouring of support he said he received after the first vote in June.

Commission Chairman Stacy White, who voted in favor of keeping the monument both times, acknowledged in June the issue was a contentious one. Commissioner Ken Hagan voted along with White on Wednesday to keep the statue in its current location. Victor Crist, the board’s seventh member, was not able to attend the July 19 meeting, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The statue, which was erected in 1911, will be moved to a private family cemetery in Brandon, the paper reported. It is unclear how soon the statue will be moved to its new home.

Photo of Commissioner Les Miller via the Hillsborough County website