‘A long time coming’: Iconic Lee statue to be removed
EDS NOTE: OBSCENITY - Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, left, speaks to protesters in front of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue Thursday, June 4, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Fairfax supports the removal of the statue, which Gov. Ralph Northam said will be removed “as soon as possible” from Monument Avenue. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Amid an extraordinary outpouring of grief over George Floyd’s death, Virginia’s governor has pledged to remove an iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
City leaders have also committed to taking down the other four Confederate memorials along Richmond’s prestigious Monument Avenue.
The changes amount to a reshaping of how one of America’s most historic cities tells its story in its public spaces _ and a rethinking of whom it glorifies.
While some have equated the decision to erasing history, many activists and black leaders say it is long overdue.