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VA State Senator: Removing Statues Akin to “Erasing White History”

BY June 4, 2020

Confederate statues have stood in Southern states for, in some cases, over 100 years. There has been a call for their removal for many of those years. Supporters of the monuments say they represent history. Opponents to the statues that they were initially put their to intimidate blacks fighting for civil rights.

Photo by Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The George Floyd killing and the associated protests have resulted in attention again being turned towards the monument. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam recently announced the state would be taking down a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee which stands in Richmond. Virginia State senator Amanda Chase reacted angrily to this announcement, saying the governor is attempting to “erase white history.”

Virginia, the home of Generals Lee and Stonewall Jackson, has a deep Confederate history. There has been a debate about removing statues in Richmond over the last 2 years.

Levar Stoney, the mayor of Richmond, said in a statement, “Removing these statues will allow the healing process to begin for so many Black Richmonders and Virginians. Richmond is no longer the Capital of the Confederacy — it is filled with diversity and love for all — and we need to demonstrate that.”

And now Northam, urged on by the protests will be taking them down.

Chase responded to the news via a Facebook Live Video. She told her viewers:

“It disturbs me whenever I see people — let’s be honest, there is an overt effort here to erase all white history. That’s what they’re looking at doing. Listen, our grandfathers were guilty of slavery, and that is wrong … but that wasn’t all that Lee and others were known for. They did other things. You know, there is not one human being who has not committed a sin.”

Watch Chase’s video below:

 



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