Rev. Shannon v. Town of Edenton

Communities across North Carolina and across the South have been actively seeking to remove monuments that celebrate the Confederacy, white supremacy, and those who sought to topple the United States government to maintain the inhumane institution of slavery. Many communities have successfully removed or relocated these statues from their courthouse squares and town centers, while others have been stymied by legal actions brought by Confederate special interest groups.  

In the eastern North Carolina town of Edenton, there has been ongoing public debate since 2021 about the future of its controversial Confederate monument which currently is on display in the town’s downtown. That debate included numerous public meetings, input from community members, the creation of a Human Relations Commission (HRC), and a recommendation by the HRC to relocate the monument away from its current location. As a result, the Edenton Town Council voted unanimously on March 14, 2023 to move the Confederate monument to Hollowell Park in Edenton, away from downtown Edenton.  

The planned relocation of the monument to Hollowell Park was held up when a lawsuit was filed by private Confederate interest groups, including the United Daughters of the Confederacy. There has never been a court hearing held on the merits of these claims, and the lawsuit has been pending for two years.   

The Southern Coalition for Social Justice lawsuit seeks to have the agreement between the Edenton Town Council and Chowan County, which reneges on Edenton’s previous decision to relocate the Confederate monument away from downtown Edenton to Hollowell Park, declared null and void. The suggestion of moving the Confederate monument to the courthouse grounds was previously rejected by town and county officials in 2022. But behind closed doors without public discussion or input, the town council negotiated and approved an agreement to transfer the monument to Chowan County, move it to the courthouse grounds, and settle the lawsuit with the Confederate interest groups. The secret plan was unveiled to the public on Nov. 25, 2024, during a joint session between the Edenton Town Council and Chowan County Board of Commissions. No public comments were permitted, and the agreement was presented and voted in a matter of minutes.