BROWNSVILLE, Texas (KVEO) – Tuesday, Brownsville City Commissioners and Mayor Trey Mendez are expected to vote unanimously to remove a Confederate monument in Washington Park.
“Why does the city of Brownsville have to be the one that Memorializes him?” asked District 1 Commissioner Nurith Galonsky while standing beside a boulder with a Jefferson Davis plaque stating Davis was a soldier, a statesman and a martyr. “Is this really an accurate piece of history? No.” she said.
On the eve of the vote, the monument was vandalized according to Brownsville Police Department. The vandal poured black paint and posted “No Racist Idols”. This is the second time in two years the monument has been vandalized. No arrests have been made in either incident.
In a letter to CBS4/LOCAL 23, Mayor Trey Mendez wrote, “This rock has been a very polarizing figure in our city for several years. The individual it is meant to honor stood for ideals and principles that are most definitely not what we want to portray for our wonderful city, which is a symbol of culture and binationalism. Although we cannot rewrite history, our commission can choose what type of items we display on city property. I believe the monument should be removed.”
Based on City Commissioners’ agenda records, it is unclear who will receive the monument. Check back for more details following the vote on Tuesday.
