BRANDON, Miss. (WJTV) – Brandon leaders hosted another public hearing on the fate of the Confederate monument in the downtown area. The monument was placed in downtown Brandon in 1907 by the Brandon chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

On July 21, five locals stood before the Brandon Board of Aldermen and Mayor Butch Lee to speak about the monument. Some said the statue is a commemoration of sacrifice, dedication and history, while others said it’s a current reminder of oppression against African Americans.

“It is a slap in the face for African Americans. We need to get rid of it. It needs to be at the cemetery or put it in a museum,” said Emma Anderson, who lives in Rankin County.

“It was put there around 1900, 1907 to honor those Confederate veterans who fought, who fought for home, who fought for Brandon, Rankin County in Mississippi. Understanding that independence at that time meant Mississippi ran the show, and you were independent enough that you took care of yourself. And those men went off. Some never left this area,” said S. Ross Aldridge, who lives in Rankin County.

The Board of Aldermen plans to continue the discussion at their next meeting on August 4 before making a final decision on whether to move the monument.