What happened to the monuments on Monument Avenue in Richmond?
The City of Richmond began work to remove the city-controlled statues, beginning with the Stonewall Jackson monument, on July 1, 2020. Matthew Maury’s statue was removed on July 2, and J. E. B. Stuart’s on July 7. The Lee Monument was removed by the Commonwealth of Virginia on September 8, 2021.
How many monuments are on Monument Avenue Richmond VA?
Developed between 1890-1929, Monument Avenue is a fourteen-block-long, tree-lined residential boulevard between Lombardy Street and Roseneath Road. Six monuments are located along major intersections of the avenue, five honoring Confederate military leaders and one honoring the Richmond-born tennis star Arthur Ashe.
Is Robert E Lee statue still in Richmond?
Governor Ralph Northam issued a statement on the removal of the Lee Monument immediately following the removal: “After 133 years, the statue of Robert E. Lee has finally come down—the last Confederate statue on Monument Avenue, and the largest in the South.
Are there any Confederate statues left in Richmond?
The statue has stood above Monument Avenue in Richmond since 1890. Five other Confederate statues previously stood there, but Lee’s is the last remaining, according to a press release from the commonwealth. “Richmond is no longer the capital of the Confederacy,” Mayor Levar Stoney said in a statement.
Why are statues being removed?
They fought for white racial supremacy. That is why monuments glorifying them and their cause should be removed. According to historian Adam Goodheart, the statues were meant to be symbols of white supremacy and the rallying around them by white supremacists will likely hasten their demise.
What monuments were taken down in Richmond VA?
The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee is removed from its pedestal Wednesday in Richmond, Va. On Wednesday, the state of Virginia removed the 12-ton statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee more than 130 years after it was installed in Richmond.
Why was Robert Lee’s statue removed from Richmond?
Northam announced plans to remove the statue in June 2020 during nightly racial justice protests in Richmond after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd, but that plan was held up by lawsuits, including one from a group of residents from Richmond’s historic Monument Avenue that wanted to keep the 61-foot-tall memorial …
Which statues have been removed in Richmond?
Virginia’s Massive Robert E. Lee Statue Has Been Removed. The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee is removed from its pedestal Wednesday in Richmond, Va. On Wednesday, the state of Virginia removed the 12-ton statue of Confederate Gen.
How many statues are in Richmond?
Create your own. Richmond is a city of monuments and this map points to more than 140 publicly displayed statues, monuments, sculptures and markers in the city.
Does removing statues Erasing History?
So the question of history being lost, if statues or monuments are taken down, is a resounding yes. In fact, once a statue or monument is removed, it is hard to bring it back. However, history was being lost before monuments were taken down, in the sense of general lack of awareness.
How tall is the statue of General in Richmond VA?
Monument Avenue has long been one of the city’s top tourist destinations, presided over by the 12-ton statue of the Virginia-born general that soars 61 feet above the elegant homes of Richmond’s old white families.
Why is Monument Avenue in Richmond VA named that?
Monument Avenue is a tree-lined grassy mall dividing the eastbound and westbound traffic in Richmond, Virginia, originally named for its emblematic complex of structures honoring those who fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
Why did Mayor Stoney remove the statue in Richmond?
After that incident, Stoney set up a commission to consider the future of Richmond’s memorial-filled mall. The panel cautiously suggested removing only one statue and adding a new monument to African Americans who fought for the Union. Stoney had agreed to the compromise.
Why are the monuments on Monument Avenue important?
Proponents of preservation recognize the monuments as veterans’ memorials erected to commemorate the hundreds of thousands of Confederate soldiers and citizens who died fighting to defend Richmond during the Civil War.