Former Murray State star Ja Morant is asking a Kentucky judge to remove a Confederate monument in downtown Murray.
Morant, who was drafted with the second pick in the 2019 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, led Murray State to a conference championship in 2019.
“Murray felt like a second home from the minute I stepped on campus and became a part of the Murray state community,” Morant said in a letter to the Calloway County judge dated Thursday.
“As a young Black man, I cannot stress enough how disturbing and oppressive it is to know the city still honors a Confederate war general defending white supremacy and hatred.”
The monument, which features a statue of Robert E. Lee, was erected in 1917 to honor Confederate soldiers from Calloway County. It sits outside the Calloway County Courthouse.
A number of Confederate statues and monuments have been removed around the country in the wake of protests following the death of George Floyd last month.
“Given recent events and the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s necessary to act now,” Morant wrote. “We can’t change the culture of racism unless we change the celebration of racism.”
