‘A long time coming’: Virginia to remove statue of Robert E. Lee
To white citizens in the late 19th century, the statue of Lee, a
Civil War hero and native Virginian, was a cause for celebration. Some
even saved pieces of the rope used to haul the statue as souvenirs.
Civil War hero and native Virginian, was a cause for celebration. Some
even saved pieces of the rope used to haul the statue as souvenirs.
But
black citizens felt a deep-seated animosity toward the statue, seeing
it as a glorification of slavery, the Civil War and their treatment as
second-class citizens, said Julian Hayter, a historian and professor of
leadership studies at the University of Richmond.