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Granvel Block is the Sons of Confederate Veterans member behind the new confederate memorial in Orange, Texas

/ Do Bianchi / 7 Comments

Join a protest of the memorial:

Saturday, September 22
location: Confederate Memorial of the Wind (Google map)
time: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Image via Granvel Block’s Facebook.

The permit for the memorial submitted by Granvel Block claimed it would be a “veterans” memorial and not a “confederate veterans” memorial.

The memorial stands within view of motorists on westbound Interstate 10 (see flyer, circulated by Block, below). The property and memorial lie on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., a main thoroughfare and one the city’s main arteries.

Block subsequently sold the property and memorial to the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

He publicly claims that he is no longer involved.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans claims that the site is managed by the Orange, Texas chapter of their group. Block is the leader of that chapter.

Privately, in conversations with Orange residents and at least one member of the Repurpose movement, Block has revealed that he does, in fact, manage the site.

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Sons of Confederate Veterans begin construction again after more than 12 months of no progress

/ Do Bianchi / 1 Comment

Above: The Confederate Memorial of the Wind as of Tuesday, August 28, 2018.

From KBMT Channel 12 (Beaumont), August 20, 2018:

ORANGE — Construction crews appear to have returned to the Confederate Memorial of the Wind Monument along Interstate 10 in Orange. It looks like work is underway on a new walkway.

Since the memorial was constructed in 2013, it’s proven controversial.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans is the group behind the memorial, which is built on private land. A woman from Orange saw crews there this weekend and contacted 12News. She says the memorial is offensive. We agreed to protect her identity because she fears for her safety. “We don’t need that memorial in our town. and I believe it encourages racism,” she said Monday.

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