Some civil rights activists are calling for the removal of a statue in Allendale Township which includes a Confederate soldier.
The statue, located at the Veteran's Memorial inside Allendale Community Park 11069 68th Avenue, shows both a confederate and union soldier with a black child at their feet holding a sign that says 'freedom to slaves'.
The Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists says its offensive and is calling for township leaders to remove it.
This comes after cities across the U.S. have been removing statues that feature Confederate flags or soldiers. Just this week, NASCAR banned the use of Confederate flags.
"We have an American soldier for the union, we have a confederate soldier who was the enemy of America, they were traitors, and now we have this depiction of a slave child," said Mitch Kahle, co-founder of The Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists.
"It`s highly inappropriate and the township of Allendale should remove the offending material and leave the memorial for true veterans, actual veterans of the United States."
FOX 17 did reach out to the Allendale Township Supervisor Adam Elenbaas who says he'd prefer the board discuss the group's letter on record during its next meeting adding that this statue does not glorify the confederacy, it is a record of a pivitol time in our nation's history.
"This represents President Lincoln's proclamation to free the slaves, something we should continue to celebrate today. This statue does not glorify the confederacy. It is a record of a pivotal time in our nation's history," Elenbaas said in a statement.
