SPLC Applauds Mouton Statue Removal in Lafayette

LAFAYETTE, La. — On Saturday, July 17, a Jim Crow-era statue erected to celebrate Gen. Alfred Mouton was removed from downtown Lafayette. Mouton helped train a local “Vigilante Committee” under the guise of fighting crime but actually administered their own brand of ‘justice,’ which included whippings, lynchings, and exiling Black residents who were deemed ‘undesirables.’

The following statement is from SPLC Chief of Staff Lecia Brooks:

“The Southern Poverty Law Center welcomes the removal of the statue to revisionist history of Confederate Gen. Alfred Mouton, which has served as a living symbol of white supremacy in front of the old City Hall in Lafayette for 99 years.

“We applaud Move the Mindset and members of the Lafayette community who chose to embrace the city’s shared and diverse future by advocating for the removal of this symbol of hate for almost six years. Our public buildings, landmarks and institutions should not conceal the truth about our shared history and should not be used as a backdrop to glorify traitors to the United States.

“The SPLC remains committed to supporting community-based groups like Move the Mindset in removing these symbols from public space.”