A group is calling for the removal of a statue of Asbury Park’s founder because of his history of being a segregationist in the early 1900s.

But the Asbury Park Historical Society is opposing the call to remove the statue of town founder James Bradley. Trustee Kay Harris says that it is important to preserve history and the lessons that it teaches.

“It’s part of our history. We recognize it, but I don’t think it should be dismantled,” she says.

The Historical Society says that while Bradley was on the wrong side of history with his racial ideas, he was an instrumental part of Asbury Park’s history. They say that it is their mission to preserve it.

"We recognize his shortcomings but it doesn't mean we want him removed. It should be a part of the conversation,” Harris says.

Harris says that before the civil rights movement, black people were not allowed on the Asbury Park beachfront unless they were accompanying someone for whom they were working. She says that keeping the Bradley statue is a teachable moment to show how far the town has come.

The Bradley family donated the land where his 100-year-old statue stands.