ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) — A Confederate monument in front of the St. Landry Parish courthouse will be coming down.

This comes after the parish council voted Wednesday night to remove the monument.

Community leaders say it’s a reminder of a dark era in history.

“People refer to them as Confederate monuments. I don’t believe that’s entirely accurate. I think they’re more accurately referred to as monuments of the Knights of the White Camelia and the Ku Klux Klan,” former St. Landry Parish District Attorney Charles Cravins said.

According to historians, the United Daughters of the Confederacy put up the monument in 1920, long after the Civil War.

Historians say it’s purpose was to intimidate African Americans from registering to vote.

“I know a lot of people support these monuments because they believe they’re part of their history. There is no doubt that they are part of history. But a good friend of mine told me yesterday, he said, ‘You know, some of my family’s names are probably inscribed on that monument. Some of the people on that monument are probably related to me, but if Putin was my cousin, I wouldn’t want to put up a monument to Putin on the courthouse square,'” Cravins said.

He says he asked the parish council to remove the statue because every day it stands there, it continues to represent the idea of white supremacy.

“We’re not trying to denigrate anyone. We’re not trying to demonize anyone. No one in that council meeting tonight participated in putting up that monument. They have no fault in that. The only fault would come from not removing it when we know better,” Cravins told News Ten.

The parish council agreed. They passed a motion to remove the monument and replace it.