In the center of the city stands the center of a heated controversy -- Fame. She's a Confederate memorial statue that has been in downtown Salisbury since the early 1900s.
However, twice in less than a year, the monument has been vandalized. White paint smeared and tossed on the bronze statue.
Residents spent hours washing away the damage each time, while Mayor Al Heggins called for civilized discussions, and the local NAACP chapter demanded the removal of the statue.
"There are individuals who feel like the statue needs to be moved because it symbolizes oppression and racism, and to others it is connected to their deep ancestry and roots to the Confederacy," Mayor Al Heggins told NBC Charlotte. "How far apart can you get in terms of these two perspectives?"
Tuesday morning, Heggins called for a private meeting for stakeholders from each side of the debate to sit down at a table to start to hear each other out.
Heggins told NBC Charlotte the discussions were a step in the right direction.
The city council has yet to come to an agreement or vote. The next step will be a special meeting open to the public.
The mayor said in a statement: "Council will coordinate and give notice of a time, date and location in the next 30-days. NOTE: the meeting may take place outside of the 30-day window; we will have the information as to when in the next 30-days."