The University of Mississippi student body senate gathered Tuesday night to vote on Confederate statues on campus.
Around 8 p.m., the senate unanimously approved a resolution (47-0) to move a Confederate statue away from the center of campus.
The statue has been the source of recent protests on the Ole Miss campus by Confederate groups.
The resolution would relocate the statue to the Confederate cemetery on campus near Tad Smith Coliseum. That is where hundreds of Confederate soldiers were buried.
More than 160 comments were submitted ahead of time, a majority in favor of relocation.
But at least 50 of those comments outlined why some wanted to keep the statue at the center of campus. Those comments said the statue is a part of history.
After the vote, WHBQ spoke with one of the resolution's authors. She said it is a monumental moment for current and future students of color on campus.
This is one of several first steps before the statue can be relocated.
Rod Guajardo, the associate director of strategic communications at Ole Miss, issued a statement following the vote:
"As an institution of higher learning, we rely on a model of shared governance, of which the Associated Student Body is one constituency. We commend the ASB Senate for using the democratic process to engage in debate of topics that impact our community. This student-led resolution will now be shared with ASB leadership for final sign off before being circulated for acknowledgement by the appropriate University of Mississippi administrators.”
If the statue is ultimately relocated, it's too early to know how much it would cost to move it.
Some students suggested reaching out to alumni to start a fundraising campaign.
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