Virginia Governor Northam to remove Robert E. Lee statue from Richmond, report

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam will reportedly on Thursday begin efforts to remove a statue in Richmond of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. 

The move by the Democratic governor would follow years of requests by civil rights activists to remove Confederacy-era monuments, arguing they are a symbol of the country’s segregated past. Supporters of such monuments argue they are a part of American history, particularly in the South.  

Northam will have the statue removed from its pedestal and put into storage while his administration considers input for a new location, reports the Associated Press, based on information from an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Richmond is the former capital of the Confederacy. The Lee statue is one of five Confederate monuments along the city’s Monument Avenue, part of a National Historic Landmark district.

Northam’s purported decision comes amid nationwide protests about police brutality toward black Americans, sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd, who died after being arrested by Minneapolis police officers, including one who kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. 

“That is a symbol for so many people, black and otherwise, of a time gone by of hate and oppression and being made to feel less than,” said state Delegate Jay Jones, a black lawmaker from Norfolk, told the wire service.