NBA rookie Ja Morant sent a letter to a Calloway County judge asking for the removal of a confederate statue in Murray, Kentucky, where he attended college at Murray State. The monument in question was erected in 1917 at the Calloway County Courthouse. Many people are advocating for the removal of confederate monuments, as Morant said in his letter to the Calloway County judge: "We can't change the culture of racism unless we change the celebration of racism."

Video Transcript:

Grizzlies star rookie and former Murray State basketball player Ja Morant has asked a Kentucky judge to take down the statue of a confederate war general in downtown Murray.In a letter penned to the honorable Kenneth C Imes, Morant says "we can’t change the culture of racism unless we change the celebration of racism. Please help us take a stand and remove this symbol of hatred and oppression.” Confederates who committed treason by seceding from the union and initiating war against the United States have in the past been glorified with monuments and statues in the south. In recent weeks following the murder of George Floyd, many of these have been taken down. Morant cited how proud he is of his ties to the university, while pointing out how oppressive it is to have a monument so prominently displayed depicting a Confederate war General defending white supremacy and hatred.