Lee Calls for Removal of Bust of Klan Leader from Capitol

Gov. Bill Lee today called on the Tennessee Capitol Commission to remove the bust of KKK leader Nathan Bedford Forrest from the State Capitol and place it in the state museum.

WPLN has more:

Gov. Bill Lee said on Wednesday afternoon that the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest in the state Capitol should be moved to the Tennessee State Museum.

“Forrest represents pain and suffering and brutal crimes committed against African Americans,” Lee told reporters. “That pain is very real for many Tennesseans.”

The governor’s remarks come a day before the State Capitol Commission is to meet to vote on whether the monument should be removed from the building.

Forrest was a Confederate general and believed to be the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. His bust was dedicated in 1978 and was championed by then-state Sen. Douglas Henry, D-Nashville.

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