The Tennessee State Historical Commission voted 9-2 on Thursday to remove the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust from the Capitol Building to the Tennessee State Musuem.
The group had met at the request of Governor Bill Lee, who a day earlier advocated for the move.
The bust had long been positioned outside the House and Senate chambers.
The panel wound up also voting to move busts of Admiral David Farragut and Admiral Albert Gleaves from the Capitol.
Governor Lee said, "Forrest represents pain and suffering and brutal crimes committed against African Americans and that pain is very real for many of our fellow Tennesseans," Gov.
Lee said. "As they walk the halls of our state house and evaluate how he can be one of the just nine busts that are elevated to a place of honor and reverence in the Capitol. Symbols matter. Proclamations and statues are not just snapshots of our history. They're a window into what we value and while the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust creates a clear tension between heritage and symbolism, we'd be wise not to make this a referendum on his place in history.
"The Nathan Bedford Forrest bust is not just another Confederate symbol. There are reasons that this particular bust has for 40 years stood above others as controversial. It's because this particular individual, in a particular season of his life, significantly contributed to one of the most regretful and painful chapters in our nation's history."