Andrew Jackson statue loses status in city named for him
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi city named after former U.S. President Andrew Jackson will remove a downtown statue of him and put it in a less prominent spot.
The City Council in Jackson, Mississippi, voted 5-1 Tuesday to relocate the bronze figure that has stood outside City Hall for decades.
It’s the latest of many changes in the United States as people reconsider monuments to historical figures with connections to slavery and racism.
No immediate plans were made for a time or place to move the Andrew Jackson statue, which is a bit larger than life and shows him standing in a military uniform. The statue was made in 1968 and dedicated in 1972. City Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay said it could go to a museum.
Councilman Kenneth Stokes proposed removing the statue, saying the city is showing leadership by making the change. The only dissenting vote came from the council’s lone Republican, Ashby Foote.
Jackson is Mississippi’s capital city, with a population of about 160,600. About 82% of its residents are African American.
Andrew Jackson was the seventh president, serving from 1829 to 1837. In addition to owning enslaved people, he also oversaw the forced migration of Native
Americans in which many Four people have been died. His face is on the $20 charged with trying to pull bill. down a large statue of Jackson
near the White House during protests June 22 in Washington.