NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- There is a continued effort by a local attorney and professor to have a prominent statue removed from outside the Tennessee State Capitol.

Video: Critics Want Capitol Hill Statue Removed

The statue has been at the location for years and honors a former newspaper publisher and U.S. senator who died 100 years ago. But opponents said the statue of Edward Carmack needs to be removed since the man was a devout racist.

Headlines from a century ago said Carmack was shot to death after a gun battle in downtown Nashville with two members of a prominent family.

"I don't think anyone knows who he is or why he's there," said attorney and professor Lewis Laska. "Edward Ward Carmack was one of the most racist politicians in Tennessee history."

Laska feels the statue should come down because of what Carmack stood for.

"He wanted the 15th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution repealed. That's the amendment that gave black men the right to vote. He thought that lynching was a good idea because it kept black people 'in their place,'" said Laska.

After Carmack's death in November 1908, the statue was commissioned by his supporters.

"The statue was placed here by the Women's Christian Temperance Union. You can see the initials (on the statue)," said Laska.

One hundred years later, the statue still stands, even though Tennessee and the country have moved forward.

"I think it's plainly ridiculous that we have a statue memorializing a man who was backward-looking and frankly one of the most racist politicians in the history of Tennessee," said Laska.

The 100th anniversary of Carmack's death is the same year that America elected its first black president.

Laska's been advocating the removal of the statue since 1999.