A slave auction block in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia, is once again at the center of controversy.
Plans were made to move it to the Fredericksburg Area Museum by March but a local business owner is fighting for it to stay.
The owner of the Olde Town Butcher shop said the 176-year-old piece of history drove business to the area and the move would result in a decline in tourism.
In a statement to NBC4, the business said, “this suit is about local politics overstepping their bounds and about preserving history.”
But the local chapter of the NAACP has released a statement saying business owners are trying to “profit from the vestiges of slavery.”
Patricia Miller, was in the area and spoke with NBC4 saying, “it is a part of history, people have the right to know about the history but in a museum with more context,” adding that seeing it on the corner can also be painful.
The county attorney is expected to take action against the lawsuit. If moved, the city plans to replace the auction block with a bronze medallion.
The Fredericksburg City Council voted 6-1 last month to preserve the stone and loan it to the museum.
Currently the city’s loan agreement with the museum is for 20 years, and will be reviewed every five years.
