In early 2025, Southern Coalition for Social Justice filed a lawsuit in Chowan County Superior Court on behalf of five Eastern North Carolina residents alleging the Edenton Town Council and Chowan County Board of Commissioners brokered an unlawful deal to relocate the Edenton Confederate monument to the grounds of the Chowan County Courthouse in downtown Edenton. We alleged this agreement violated the North Carolina Open Meetings Law and the placement of the Confederate Monument at the courthouse would violate the North Carolina Constitution.
As detailed in SCSJ’s filings, the monument was originally commissioned to be built and placed in Edenton during an era of widespread racial animosity against North Carolina’s Black population. The monument was celebrated as a symbol of North Carolina’s “White Supremacy” campaigns of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. And for decades, it stood prominently in Edenton’s Downtown Historic District, where it had become the focus of weekly protests and vigils over the last few years.
At the time SCSJ filed its lawsuit, there was another lawsuit ongoing. This other lawsuit had been brought by a handful of pro-Confederate special interest groups, who objected to any relocation of the monument. The pro-Confederate groups argued that the monument’s placement on South Broad Street in Edenton was the only appropriate location given its high visibility and prominence.
In late August 2025, Superior Court Judge Wayland Sermons dismissed the pro-Confederate groups’ lawsuit, which allowed the Town of Edenton to move forward with its planned relocation.
On August 30, 2025, over Labor Day Weekend, the Town of Edenton took down the Edenton Confederate Monument. Its removal marked a victory for the years of advocacy and protest that urged the Town Council to remove this racist symbol.
The monument was taken down and placed into storage next to the Chowan County Detention Center.
SCSJ’s case now moves to the front. The way in which the agreement was brokered between the Edenton Town Council and Chowan County Board of Commissioners broke the law; as a result, the plan to move the monument to the courthouse should be nullified. In addition, the placement of the monument outside of the Chowan County Courthouse violates the North Carolina Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law.
The monument was created to celebrate North Carolina’s post-Reconstruction era of Black subjugation and Jim Crow. It stands for repression and inequality. While the law may prohibit the Town of Edenton from destroying the monument, the law also prohibits them from placing it outside a courthouse where “equal justice under the law” is supposed to operate.
SCSJ anticipates we will be going to court in the early part of 2026 to make our clients’ case, and hopefully prevent the monument from casting its shadow across the courthouse grounds.
Felecia Phillips Ollie DD (h.c.) is the inspiring leader and founder of The Equality Network LLC (TEN). With a background in coaching, travel, and a career in news, Felecia brings a unique perspective to promoting diversity and inclusion. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in English/Communications, she is passionate about creating a more inclusive future. From graduating from Mississippi Valley State University to leading initiatives like the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program, Felecia is dedicated to making a positive impact. Join her journey on our blog as she shares insights and leads the charge for equity through The Equality Network.
