A Virginia resident is pushing for the removal of a Confederate statue to make way for a monument honoring rapper Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott.
There’s been a lot of debate over the removal of these monuments honoring White supremacy since the hateful acts which took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, just one week ago.
Now, it appears that one local man, Nathan Coflin, has come up with the perfect solution. According to WKTR, to put an end to all the fuss, Coflin has proposed that erecting a monument celebrating the Virginia native and music icon will soothe the conflict. So, he turned to Change.org where he penned a petition in which he urges Portsmouth Mayor John Rowe to replace the Confederate memorial in Olde Towne, near the intersection of Court and High Street with the likeness of the Grammy Award-winning rapper.
“Getting this statue put up will be a lot of work and you may ask yourself is it worth it?” Coflin writes. “I say yes and ask you to join me in letting us work it. Together we can put White supremacy down, flip it and reverse it.”
At press time, the petition had reached 100 of its 200 supporters needed to reach its goal, according to local news reports. However, as of Friday night, he had surpassed his goal, procuring just under 300 signatures. Coflin plans to present the petition to Mayor Rowe, Vice Mayor Paige Cherry and various other City Council members.
Coflin’s request comes as Confederate monuments across the country are being pulled down — some in the wee hours of the night.
Elliott, 46, was born Melissa Arnette Elliott on July 1, 1971, in Portsmouth, Virginia, and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1990. Known for her solo hits “Work It,” “Get Ur Freak On” and “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” Elliott has frequently collaborated with Norfolk, Virginia-born Timbaland (born Timothy Moseley), Virginia Beach’s own Pharrell Williams and the late R&B singer Aaliyah.
She has won six Grammys, 15 MTV Video Music Awards, 15 BET awards, and eight American Music Awards.
