The Student Government Association at Western Kentucky University has voted in favor of relocating a historical marker on campus.
The marker identifies Bowling Green as the Confederate Capital of Kentucky during the Civil War. The marker was erected in 1952 during the civil rights era and stands in front of the Kentucky Museum. SGA member Symone Whalin is an African-American student from Hardin County.
“I just feel like people should understand there is a time and setting for history to be remembered and I don’t think that every time I walk to class, I should be reminded that people who looked like me were not allowed to be here," Whalin told WKU Public Radio.A resolution approved by the SGA calls for the marker to be moved inside the Kentucky Museum and become part of a historical display.
"We appreciate the discourse this discussion has created and we’re waiting to see what the next steps are," said university spokesman Bob Skipper.
The markers are administered by the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Department of Highways. While the marker is on WKU property, it doesn’t technically belong to the university. When it was installed on what is now College Heights Boulevard, the road was U.S. 68.
