Times have changed, and so should that statue.” Katrina Johnson That statue increases the racial and discrimination tensions that are supposed to be non-existent. We are supposed to be living in a time of equality and fairness. “It is not only disturbing but heartbreaking to be raised in a town that praises a slave owner. I will never invest a dime or any of my time in this city until we decide to correct our past mistakes and remove the confederate monument.” Tyler Sims. Our city condones and supports these ideals as we maintain the Robert E. They all would say things like ‘you aren’t like other black people,’ or ‘you just have common sense unlike other black people.” As a young adult I look back at my community in disgust. I went to a white church and had many white friends in Lee Academy. “I grew up in a biracial home surrounded primarily by white family members. However, as I aged and matured my perspective changed.” Warrenesha Arnold I was not aware of the reasons for separate schools, parks, and living environments.
“Personally, as a child I did understand the negative impact of racism and the effects it had on many African Americans.
Monuments have always been meant to memorialize and idolize certain moments of history, and while we agree that this moment of history should never be forgotten it should never be idolized.” Alvertis Valentine Lee Monument is a symbol of hate and division in our community that has aided racial tensions and fears in the past and continue to cause damage today. “The citizens of Marianna, primarily its youth, believe that the Robert E. Lee monument and to show your support for a better, more united Lee County. Sign this petition to support the immediate removal of the Robert E. Marianna has no future if it insists on clinging to the past we are the future, and will not align ourselves, politically, economically, or socially, with hatred and division. We grew up in its shadow, unable or unwilling to make our voices heard. Lee monument in the center of town has haunted us for decades, shaping our lives in ways we didn’t fully understand as children and young adults. Where we decide to invest our resources, raise our children, and start our businesses will be largely decided by how the community responds to our cries for change. We are the life blood of Marianna and Lee County. The young people of Lee County represent the future. It was a painful reminder of ideals that drove us apart, pitting brother against brother and nearly destroying our country. government, are “a cultural resource for the enjoyment, education, and INSPIRATION of this and future generations.” For many young people, however, the Robert E.