Jackson County voters have rejected a proposal to remove statues of President Andrew Jackson that stand in front of the county's two courthouses.
Activists had pushed to have the statues removed because Jackson was a slave owner who also signed a law in 1830 that forced Native American tribes from their land, causing thousands to die. Jackson County, Missouri, was named after Jackson in 1826. The push to remove the statues from in front of courthouses in Independence and Kansas City coincided with similar efforts around the county this year after racial injustice demonstrations.
The proposal was rejected with about 59% opposed and 41% in favor.