POWELL, Tenn. — Leaders of a Christian College in Powell are pushing to make a home for statues that have been torn down across the state and across the U.S.
They include statues of former presidents, confederate generals and other major figures. For communities across the country, the statues are symbols of hate and centuries of slavery.
"It took all these things to make America what it is today," said Dr. Clarence Sexton, the founder of Crown College. "And somewhere, all these parts need to be displayed."
He spoke from his Hall of Presidents which includes every former president from Washington to Trump.
"We believe that having the whole of the history is what we need," he said.
Dr. Sexton said he would show controversial statues, including those of Nathan Bedford Forrest, the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan who enslaved Black Americans and killed Union soldiers during the Civil War.
"Forrest is a part of American history," he said. "If there's something that is dark and ugly about what they did, then those things should be pointed out."
However, local advocates previously said that displaying statues of Forrest and similar figures represents hatred instead of history, and have said that history would not be erased by destroying statues.
Dr. Sexton said that he would put the statues on an undeveloped part of the college's land, next to a cemetery used in the Civil War.
On Inside Tennessee, WBIR's weekly Sunday broadcast looking into local politics and government, Representative Tim Burchett also said he approves the displaying statues for former presidents, saying it would give the U.S. leaders a historical perspective. Burchett did not comment on the statue of Forrest.
But Dr. Sexton said he thinks the display should extend to all historical figures, including Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Crews removed Forrest's statue from the Tennessee Capitol earlier in 2021 amid sweeping controversies.