A statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was removed from the United States Capitol overnight.
The statue has been with one of the first U.S. presidents, George Washington, as a contribution from the state of Virginia to the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall collection for more than 100 years.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, announced Monday that the state will try to replace it with a statue of civil rights icon Barbara Johns.
“We should all be proud of this important step forward for our Commonwealth and our country,” Northam said. “The Confederacy is a symbol of Virginia’s racist and divisive history, and it’s time to tell our story with images of perseverance, diversity and inclusion. I look forward to seeing an amazing young woman of color represent Virginia at the United States Capitol, where visitors will learn about Barbara Johns ’contributions to America and have the power to create positive change in their communities just as she did ”.
A representative of the Northam office was present for the dismissal along with Sen. Tim Kaine
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Earlier this year, a state commission commissioned the removal of the Capitol statue.
The commission, led by State Senator Louise Lucas (D), voted unanimously to withdraw it.
“Confederate images do not represent who we are in Virginia, so we voted unanimously to remove this statue,” Lucas said in a statement. “I am delighted that this day has finally arrived and I thank Governor Northam and the Commission for their transformative work.”
The statue will be transported to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond, the Northam office reported.
The budget proposed by Northam for the state includes $ 500,000 for the erection of the Johns statue, which is to be approved by the General Assembly.
In recent years, social justice activists and some politicians have called for the removal of Confederate statues across the country, saying they glorify racism and intolerance. The deadly 2017 confrontation between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Va., Came after a statue of Lee was removed.
Following the death of George Floyd this summer, calls were renewed to remove Confederate statues. Northam, who was elected in 2017, has said he believes Confederate monuments should be placed in museums rather than displayed in public.