I’ve always been very proud to be from the Shoals. Anyone that knows me knows that. I have spread the good word around the world. There’s a lot to be proud of.

(A thread)

One out of many reasons I’ve been proud to be an ambassador is our “colorblind” history in the studios. Whatever that means.

The Muscle Shoals documentary goes to great lengths to detail the way that black and white people made music - during the Civil Rights era, peacefully arm in arm, unlike most of the state. The prevailing thought was “skin color didn’t matter”. The best was the best. Period.

We in the Shoals like to proudly beat our chests about that, like we as a group were some anomaly. Like we as an area were evolved. It’s something I’ve definitely bragged about.

But in the middle of that “peace” - 1965 - while those records were being made, we put a confederate statue on the grounds of the county courthouse, in downtown Florence. Directly on ground where slaves were sold.

There’s a lot of good folks (especially Project Say Something) that are working tirelessly to move it. But they’re facing numbers and bureaucracy that feel very familiar.

The city of Florence, to its credit, has at least offered FREE land in an area of the public cemetery called “Soldier’s Rest”. Private money has been raised to move it to the cemetery, and to pay the new state fine (a whole other conversation). Not a taxpayer cent will be spent.

However, some of our elected county commissioners wring their hands and won’t even vote to DISCUSS the movement of the statue. Their phones have lit up with people talking about “history” and “heritage”, demanding the memorial stay EXACTLY where it is.

Which doesn’t sound so different from the rest of the state in 1965.

I still have hope that the right thing will get done. That people here will stand (again) on the shoulders or those that found harmony here during times of unrest. That we’re really who we’ve been saying we were all along.