For more than 100 years, two statues representing Virginia have stood at the U.S. Capitol: one of George Washington and another of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
But early Monday, the Lee statue was removed from the National Statuary Hall’s collection. It’s expected to be replaced by a statue honoring civil rights activist Barbara Johns.
“This is a historic and long-overdue moment for our Commonwealth,” U.S. Reps. Donald McEachin and Jennifer Wexton, both Democrats from Virginia, said in a statement. “The Robert E. Lee statue honors a legacy of division, oppression, and racism — a dark period in the history of our Commonwealth and our country.”
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