Northam Orders Removal Of Gen. Robert E. Lee Statue In Richmond

VIRGINIA — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Richmond's famous Monument Avenue. Northam said he has directed the Virginia Department of General Services to remove the statue as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said Wednesday the city plans to introduce an ordinance on July 1 to remove Confederate monuments on Monument Avenue and elsewhere on city property in Richmond.

"Times have changed, and removing these statues will allow the healing process to begin for so many Black Richmonders and Virginians," Stoney said in a news release. "Richmond is no longer the Capital of the Confederacy — it is filled with diversity and love for all — and we need to demonstrate that."

Speaking in Richmond Thursday at a news conference, Northam noted that Virginia is home to more memorials that glorify the Confederacy than any other state and that the Robert E. Lee statue is the most prominent.

"Symbols matter, too, and Virginia has never been willing to deal with symbols until now. That’s true because generations ago Virginia made the decision not to celebrate unity but to honor the cause of division," Northam said. "The statue of Robert E. Lee is the most prominent."

“Instead of choosing to heal the wounds of the American Civil War, they chose to keep them on display right here in Richmond," the governor said. "They needed a symbol to shore up the cause."

The state owns the statue, which is six stories tall, and the property on which the statue sits. "In 2020, we can no longer honor a system that was based on the buying and selling of people," Northam said. "Removing a symbol is important, but it’s only a step. Monuments of inequities still exist."

Northam, who said he made the decision Tuesday to remove the statue, explained the bronze part of the statue will be placed in a warehouse. The state will then decide what to place on top of the existing pedestal.

"I know some will protest. Some will say, Lee was an honorable man. I know many people will be angry," the governor said. "But my friends, I believe in a Virginia that studies its past in an honest way. I believe that when we learn more, we can do more. And I believe that when we learn more — when we take that honest look at our past — we must do more than just talk about the future. We must take action."

According to the governor's office, Northam is acting under his executive authority and state law that gives the governor the sole authority to approve the removal of a work of art owned by the state upon submission of a plan to do so. The Robert E. Lee monument was erected for and is owned by the state and is considered a work of art under state law.

In 2017, white supremacists and neo-Nazis used the proposed removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville as an excuse to hold a rally that ended with the killing of a woman and injuries to many more people by a white supremacist.

Similar to other countries that have removed monuments built to honor leaders of movements that committed monstrous acts, proponents of removing these statues want people to remember the history of slavery and institutional racism, not glorify the people who fought against freedom and equality.

At the news conference, Robert W. Lee IV, a pastor and a member of the Lee family, offered his support to Northam's decision to remove his uncle's statue from Richmond.

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus said Wednesday in a statement that removing the monument is "a step in the right direction in the continued fight to address institutional racism, systemic disparities, and remaining vestiges of Jim Crow in our Commonwealth."

"These Confederate monuments are a symbol of racism, oppression, and hate," the group said. "It coincides with similar actions, such as with the removal of the confederate statue at Appomattox in Alexandria and with plans to remove the Fredericksburg slave auction block this month. In addition, we must continue to focus on creating a better future by dismantling the systemic racism that still exists across our institutions."

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, speaking at Thursday's news conference, said removal of the Lee statue will not stop police abuse and erase systemic racism. "There is much more to do to heal the pain," Herring said. "We have a long road ahead of us."