Online petition seeks to replace Confederate monument with Missy Elliott statue

PORTSMOUTH, Virginia (KTRK) -- While the healing continues in Virginia following the deadly clash in Charlottesville, an online petition wants one of its native daughters to become an eternal presence for years to come.

A Change.org petition is seeking to replace a Confederate monument with a statue in the likeness of rapper Missy Elliott.

The monument is in Portsmouth, Virginia, which is Elliott's birthplace.

In explaining the choice of the multi-platinum artist, the petition asks, "Who better to encapsulate the culture and spirit of the city enshrined in a new monument than Grammy Award winning rapper, dancer, and record producer Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott?"

The post continues, "Hailing from humble beginnings as the only child of a power company dispatcher and a welder at Portsmouth's lauded naval shipyard, she rose to become a platinum recording artist with over 30 million albums sold. All this without even once owning a slave."

The petition seeks 35,000 signatures.

The petition is being directed at Portsmouth city council members as well as town Mayor John L. Rowe.

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