TULSA, Okla. — A monument in Tulsa's oldest park is sparking calls for removal or relocation, with community members citing concerns about honoring known Ku Klux Klan members.
The eight-foot stone statue in Owen Park bears the names of W. Tate Brady and Willard McCullough, identified as KKK members by historians. The monument pays homage to Tulsa's earliest settlers.
"As a Muscogee citizen, living on my reservation, seeing this on my reservation, it's a desecration, it's a dishonor, it's a disservice," said Aaron Griffith.
Griffith, a concerned citizen, said he's seen the monument vandalized over the years and questions the use of public funds for its maintenance.
"Considering the fact that this is a private monument and the group that originally erected it is now defunct, is no longer active, that shifts the burden of maintaining the upkeep of it onto the City of Tulsa," he said.
The Tulsa Association of Pioneers was behind the monument, erected in 1935, honoring members from then through 1964.
Local sustainability group Kitty Gang Family Foundation offered to help fundraise, so money isn't the reason change doesn't occur.
"I don't think it belongs in the park personally," said James Taylor, treasurer of the group. "It would be fun to raise that money, you know, people are really giving. To me, the rock is like, they own the park, but really, it's our park. It's the people's park, and we should be able to have say in what is deserving of being in our public spaces."
When asked what a positive resolution for the monument would be, Taylor said he'd like to see it moved to a museum or for context to be added to the area to explain what the statue stands for.
The question of who would be responsible for removing it or relocating it remains unclear.
City Councilor Laura Bellis, whose district the park falls in, said that it falls to the parks department.
The parks department deferred 2 News to the city.
A city spokesperson said they are working to learn more about the effort and 'will provide more information as the situation warrants.'
"I just find it kind of absurd to suggest or imply that the council is impotent to act in that regard, because they are absolutely able to do something to address the public's concerns that are being expressed about this," said Griffith.
2 News did find a petition asking former Tulsa Mayor G. T. Bynum to remove the monument, showing the issue has been a topic of conversation for years across the community.
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