Controversial Statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee Removed From Monument Avenue In Virginia

Controversial Statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee Removed From Monument Avenue In Virginia

Since the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, many leaders have been openly speaking on the dark history of racism in this country and how it continues to this day. Confederate statues and symbols alike have been in the process of removal. Today, Sept. 8th, the statue of Confederate General and slave owner, Robert E. Lee, was taken down in front of a cheering crowd in Richmond Virginia.

Just last summer in July, a hologram memorial was set up for George Floyd over the statue.  It was the last remaining monument after being installed in 1890 when black Virginians were violently and systematically shut out of the voting booth.

According to reports, the state Supreme Court cleared the way for its removal after an intense national debate on its true purpose in the city that was once the capital of the Confederacy. The statue came down earlier this morning while a crowd reportedly chanted,

“Na, na, na,na. Hey, hey,hey goodbye!”

Many onlookers expressed their feelings on finally getting the statue removed. The founder of BLM RVA, Lawrence West, said,

“Robert E. Lee standing here on Monument Avenue is very symbolic to the Confederate mindset, you know the levels of oppression that people feel on a regular day-to-day basis. With the coming down of the monument, it is also a part of coming down with those types of ideals. It brings some closure to the conversation, ‘It’s OK to be racist’.”

As far as what will happen to the statue, reports say that it’ll be placed in secure storage at a state-owned facility until a decision is made on what to do with it. The 40-foot pedestal will remain locked away until a community-driven effort reimagines what will replace it.

What are your thoughts on the Confederate statue being taken down? Let us know in the comments.

[VIA]