Richmond, VA— The Virginia Supreme Court today ruled to permit efforts to remove the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue in Richmond. As the members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus (VLBC) have repeatedly made clear, the removal of this symbol of bigotry and discrimination is a step in the right direction in the continued fight against 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 removal of this symbol of hate is long overdue,” said Delegate Jeff Bourne (D-71st, Richmond). “Year after year that confederate monument contributed to and perpetuated the revisionist history and harmful narrative that was repeated far and wide. The removal of the Lee monument will be a step towards truly addressing our Commonwealth’s and our country’s past as we continue our work to eliminate racist and oppressive systems.”
“I pass the Lee monument each time I drive to work to serve the people of Virginia and move our Commonwealth forward,” said VLBC Vice Chair Jennifer McClellan (D-9th, Richmond). “The statue represents trauma for the Black community. It’s about time we removed this statue. When it went up in 1890, John Mitchell, Jr. wrote that it would bequeath to the future a ‘legacy of treason and blood,’ it was asymbol meant to deter racial progress and that it ‘forge[d] heavier chains with which to be bound.’ I’m glad to see the statue go. But we must continue to dismantle the legacy of slavery and white supremacy that remain woven into all our systems: education, housing, transportation, and justice. We’ve begun that work but have a long way to go.”
“In 1869, Robert E. Lee wrote: ‘Not to keep open the sores of war but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife, to commit to oblivion the feelings engendered.’ Today, it has been affirmed by the Supreme Court of Virginia that our Commonwealth is no longer a state that stands for white supremacy, division, or any devices of exclusion,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas (D-18th, Portsmouth). “For far too long the Lee statue stood tall and proud in our capital casting a vast shadow of morals and values that people that look like me have long fought to overcome. Moving forward, Virginia’s public memorials and symbols will represent our true gravity of inclusion.”
“This is truly the dawning of a new day in Virginia. In a matter of a few days, we have witnessed the pardoning of the Martinsville Seven, in what was a miscarriage of justice,” said Delegate Delores McQuinn (D-70th, Richmond). “Now we are witnessing another weighty system being lifted, one that has plagued generations. The Robert E. Lee statue, mounted on Monument Avenue, continued to represent the worst of the ugliness of those oppressive systems. The highest court in Virginia has upheld what the people believe was essential. No longer will that monument and the ideals it represents have a place of honor and reverence in Virginia. The fight continues for equity, justice, and equality for all.”
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Contact: Adele McClure, Executive Director