Ja Morant requests removal of Confederate statue near alma mater

Memphis Grizzlies star rookie Ja Morant is requesting that a Confederate statue near his alma mater of Murray State be removed, according to Edward Alan Marlowe of The Paducah Sun.

In a letter to judge Kenneth C. Imes, Morant - who starred at Murray State for two seasons - asked for the Confederate statue of Robert E. Lee in the court square of downtown Murray, Kentucky, to be removed immediately.

"As a young black man, I cannot stress enough how disturbing and oppressive it is to know the city still honors a Confederate war general defending white supremacy and hatred," Morant wrote.

He added: "Given recent events and the Black Lives Matter movement, it's necessary to act now. We can't change the culture of racism unless we change the celebration of racism. Please help us take a stand and remove this symbol of hatred and oppression."

Multiple Confederate monuments across the United States have been taken down in recent weeks following the death of George Floyd in police custody on May 25.