Government officials have moved to remove a statue honoring Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the U.S. Capitol. Previously, the statue stood next to a statue of America’s first President George Washington. It existed as part of Virginia’s contribution to the National Statuary Hall Collection for more than a century.
“We should all be proud of this important step forward for our Commonwealth and our country,” Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said.
“The Confederacy is a symbol of Virginia’s racist and divisive history, and it is past time we tell our story with images of perseverance, diversity, and inclusion. I look forward to seeing a trailblazing young woman of color represent Virginia in the U.S. Capitol, where visitors will learn about Barbara Johns’ contributions to America and be empowered to create positive change in their communities just like she did.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said that the decision to remove the statue was “welcome news” to her. Over the summer, a number of lawmakers on Capitol Hill pushed to have Confederate statues removed from the Capitol.
“The Congress will continue our work to rid the Capitol of homages to hate, as we fight to end the scourge of racism in our country,” Pelosi said.
“There is no room for celebrating the bigotry of the Confederacy in the Capitol or any other place of honor in our country.”
Lee’s statue will now be replaced with one of civil rights leader Barbara Johns. Northam plans to designate $500,000 for the project.
