We, the residents of Pitt County, submit that the time has come for the removal of the Confederate statue at the courthouse. It is time to take immediate action to remove this monument to slavery, sedition and racial oppression. 

Additionally, it is our assertion that this statue subverts and undermines our core principles of liberty and justice for all. It is unconscionable that anyone going to the courthouse, a place promising equal justice for all, should be forced to do so under a shadow of injustice and suppression. The statue was dedicated in 1914, which that date itself should be reason enough as to why it is time for our community to move forward and leave the confederate memorabilia to museums and not in public spaces.

We stand in solidarity with Chapel Hill. We stand in solidarity with Durham. We stand in solidarity with Charlottesville. 

We appeal to Pitt County Commissioners to outline and commit to a process for the timely and definitive removal of this monument.