As communities across the country take Confederate monuments down, a committee in Denton recommended Thursday that a statue honoring Confederate soldiers in the city square should remain — but with some changes.
The panel voted against removing the monument, but suggested adding historical context to confront the city's racial past.
Outside Denton's courthouse, the monument to Confederate soldiers includes two old water fountains in its base that haven't worked in years.
Denton resident Willie Hudspeth was not allowed to drink from those fountains, however, because he's black.
"Horrendous things happened to me as a young person," said Hudspeth, as he addressed fellow committee members before the vote.
A longtime opponent of the statue, Hudspeth eventually agreed to allowing it to stand, as long as Denton's segregated past is also detailed in an accompanying setup alongside the monument, which was erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy in 1918.
"We have the opportunity to get the wording right," Hudspeth said. "To actually start putting something up to heal my wounds."
Details have yet to be finalized, but the additions could include plaques — possibly even television monitors — which would tell the story of African Americans in Denton. County commissioners voted to form the committee in October, responding to growing calls for the monument's removal.
"I think it was the best we could get," said John Baines, who chaired the panel, and supported removal. "But that's not what everyone else felt. We preached from day one we were going to use consensus."
That consensus didn't come easy. Committee members met weekly for three months, and debated for more than two hours before the vote.
For Hudspeth, it's been an 18-year battle, which began with complaints about that water fountain he was never allowed to drink from.
"The statue would still be there, but it would definitely be something that would help us come together," he said.
Baines will deliver the committee's recommendations to the Denton County Commissioners Court Tuesday. If commissioners approve it, the full story of Denton's history will also be on display.
"What we're getting from my perspective is a move forward," Hudspeth said. "We're moving forward."
