Three months after the removal of the bronze monument, Robert E. Lee’s bronze statue was taken down from the plinth of granite covered in graffiti.
On Monday, preliminary work will be underway at Richmond’s site. The pedestal is scheduled to be taken down by the end of December 31st according to Governor Ralph Northam.
Northam explained that this land was in the heart of Richmond. Richmonders will decide what happens to it. “The Commonwealth will take down the pedestal. We anticipate that this project will be completed safely and with a positive outcome.
The statue the plinth supported was removed September 8 after becoming the latest Confederate statue to be toppled by the Black Lives Matter movement amid protest from some white residents who thought it should be preserved in history.
On Monday, crews will start removing graffiti-covered granite plinths that used to house the statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee.
As protests against George Floyd’s passing continued, the plinth was graffiti-defaced in May 2020.
The items are being preserved, not destroyed. However, it is still unknown if or how they will be displayed in public.
In the meantime, Richmond can decide how to dispose of the traffic circle which used to be the plinth. But, Richmond has yet to reveal any potential plans.
The statue, which was the Confederate’s latest monument, was torn by Black Lives Matter in protest of white residents who felt it should remain part of history.
BLM supporters cheered last fall as the monument of bronze weight (12 tons) – America’s largest Confederate sculpture – was removed.
While officials decided on what to do, the concrete pedestal of 40 feet remained in place.
After the pedestal is removed, the item will be taken apart and stored, according to the release.
The possibility exists that an 1887-year-old time capsule, believed to have been hidden under the statue, will be found when it is removed.
In May 2020, graffiti was used to deface the plinth in protest against George Floyd’s death.
After only 12 hours of digging, officials in September stopped searching for the capsule. It was believed to have a photograph of Abraham Lincoln inside.
On September 9, crews took 8,000 pounds of granite blocks off the concrete base at 40 feet high. They were searching for the copper box containing Civil War relics. An aide to Northam declared it over and called it an end.
‘After a long hard day, it’s clear the time capsule won’t be found — and Virginia is done with lost causes,’ chief communications officer for the governor Grant Neely told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “The hunt for the moldy Confederate box has ended. We are moving forward.
Devon Henry, (pictured), watches crews attempt to find the time capsule that was stored in a time capsule that dates back to 134 years ago. The search began on September 9th and ended hours later.
Crews searched for a time capsule that was buried beneath the Lee statue.
Many people were thrilled to see the contents of the “moldy Confederate” box. It was a copper capsule that dates back to 1887 and contained silver dollars as well as Civil War relics, including Confederate buttons.
According to a newspaper article, it contained an image of Lincoln in his coffin. It was given by Miss Pattie Lee (a Richmond school principal).
Library records indicate that 37 people and companies contributed 60 objects related to Confederacy to historic cache.
It is unclear whether the photograph shows Lincoln lying in state, or if it was taken in Lincoln’s coffin. Historians have doubts.
Dale Brumfield was a historian and author from the area who had studied the history of the capsule. He was disappointed by the conclusion and believed it was being concealed, according to the Times-Dispatch.
Brumfield stated, “It’s there somewhere.” “Why is it kept secret?” Why hide it? It’s absurd.
The pedestals were refilled with a new capsule, which contained 2021 artifacts. These included photos of Stop Asian Hate protests and BLM stickers.
It contains 39 items. The capsule was created by the residents of the area and chosen by an advisory group which included Pamela Northam (First Lady).
You Are Not Alone is a flyer that you can find in the streets after George Floyd’s protest, Virginia’s First Lady Pam Northam wore a COVID face mask and photos taken at Stop Asian Hate. The capsule also includes Virginia is for Lovers stickers. A hand-painted gourd rattle was donated by the Mattiponi & Pamunkey Nations, and an album of hip hop tracks.
The photos include a photograph of a black dancer performing in front of a vandalized monument, and a copy of National Geographic 2020 in Pictures’ issue. There is also a cover photo of George Floyd’s Lee monument, as well as a Congressionally chartered 400 Years of African-American History Commission ‘Kente’ cloth.
The statue was removed by the governor in its entirety last year. This decision came 10 days after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
When the US’ largest Confederate monument was taken out of Richmond, September 8, the crowd reacts.
The pedestal, which once housed the statue, is gone.
This statue was built 25 years after the Civil War ended and 20 years after Lee’s passing.
The Lee Monument Commission was established in 1886 and was headed by Fitzhugh Lee, a former Virginia Governor.
Governor. Ralph Northam stated that it was an inexplicable decision. It is part of the healing process to allow Virginia to move on and become a state welcoming people with diversity and inclusion.
The plinth will be put into storage until a permanent plan for it is established, a spokesperson for governor-elect Glenn Youngkin told the Washington Post.
Ralph Northam, Governor of Virginia, watches as the Robert E. Lee statue is removed from his office on September 8. The statue was removed by Ralph Northam, Virginia Governor.
After the statue was taken down last fall, former president Donald Trump was among those to condemn ‘the desecration’ of the monument. Donald Trump said that the general had led Americans to victory over Taliban.
‘Our culture is being destroyed and our history and heritage, both good and bad, are being extinguished by the radical left, and we can’t let that happen,’ said Trump in an emailed statement.
“If only Robert E. Lee had been there to lead our forces in Afghanistan, the disaster would have been over years ago.
‘What an embarrassment we are suffering because we don’t have the genius of a Robert E. Lee!’