Confederate monument at Harrison County Courthouse in Gulfport to remain in place following vote

GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV) — A confederate monument that has been standing in front of the Harrison County Courthouse since 1911 will stay in its place.

In a 2-2 vote Monday, the Harrison County Board of Supervisors had no clear majority to decide if the monument should be removed.

District Five Supervisor Connie Rocko was not present at the meeting due to an illness not related to COVID-19.

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The monument at the Harrison County Courthouse in Gulfport has become a flash-point of controversy in recent months as attention across the country focuses on whether such monuments are appropriate for public spaces.

In protests earlier this year, several residents requested the monument is taken down.

Harrison County’s only Black supervisor, Kent Jones of District Four, brought the issue to a vote during Monday’s meeting.

Jones says he didn’t want to go into 2021 with the issue of the monument hanging over them.

It is unclear if the issue will be revisited in future Board of Supervisors meetings.