Memphis Grizzlies Point Guard Ja Morant has asked a Kentucky judge to remove a Confederate statue from Murray, Kentucky.
“As a young Black man, I cannot stress enough how disturbing and oppressive it is to know the city still honors a Confederate war general defending white supremacy and hatred,” Morant wrote in a letter to the judge.
“We can’t change the culture of racism unless we change the celebration of racism,” he added.
The statue that Morant is hoping to have taken down is of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Currently, it sits inside the Calloway County Courthouse. Recently, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear voiced his support of removing Confederate monuments in public spaces.
Former Murray State point guard and current Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has weighed in on the Confederate statue in the downtown courtsquare of Murray, Ky. pic.twitter.com/77oaSfmcmq
— Edward Alan Marlowe (@dreamarlowe85) June 13, 2020
“Having a Confederate monument on courthouse grounds or in the rotunda is not the right thing,” Beshear told local news outlets.
Morant is a former Murray State basketball star with influence in the community. In two seasons with the Racers, Morant averaged 19 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds per game. In his final season, he won conference player of the year honors as he led the team to a birth in the 2019 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament.
“Murray felt like a second home from the minute I stepped on campus and became a part of the Murray state community.”
With his notoriety and influence along with the power of Gov. Beshear, the courthouse statue may come down.
