The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was removed from the US Capitol Monday morning.
The statue, which resided next to a monument of George Washington for 111 years, will be moved to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.
Blackface-Klansman Governor Ralph Northam (VA) created a commission earlier this year to remove and replace the statue.
Each state is allowed to exhibit two statues in the Capitol and Northam’s commission voted to replace the Robert E. Lee statue with Barbara Rose Johns, a black civil rights activist.
“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,” Mr. Northam said in a statement. “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.”
WATCH:
4:02 am. 12/21/20. Crypt of the US Capitol. pic.twitter.com/2ttGecsj5B
— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) December 21, 2020
