Residents press county to remove Confederate monument; commissioners hear repeated calls

Several speakers at the July 28 meeting urged Gaston County commissioners to remove the Confederate monument that stands near the courthouse entrance, describing the statue as an enduring symbol that communicates exclusion and a painful message to many residents.

Ann Doss Helms said the presence of the monument signals that some community members are treated as less than others and criticized the board’s silence on the issue. Deanna Graham (vice president of the Gastonia NAACP branch) emphasized that the group is not asking for tax increases but for different budget allocations and specifically referenced monument removal in the broader call for reallocating priorities to education and equity. Dr. Tasha Prieto noted that similar monuments in Raleigh had been removed prior to 2020 and asked the county to follow that example.

Commissioners acknowledged the remarks in the meeting record; no formal motion to remove the monument was presented during the session. The public comments renewed attention on the county’s earlier decisions about the monument and signaled continued public pressure for action or clearer statements from county leadership.