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In this June 1, 2020 photo, Black Lives Matter protesters surround the now removed Monument Avenue statue to Confederate General J. E. B. Stuart. (Photo: Crixell Matthews/VPM News)
Richmond City Council is moving forward with selling or transferring the Confederate monuments taken down last year.
In response to nightly racial justice protests in the city and beyond, Mayor Levar Stoney ordered the removal of all of Richmond’s public Confederate monuments and iconography in July 2020. By that point protesters had already toppled three Confederate statues: Jefferson Davis on Monument Ave., Williams Carter Wickham in Monroe Park, and the Howitzer Battalion memorial on VCU’s campus. Protesters also toppled a monument of Christopher Columbus in Byrd Park and threw the statue in the pond.
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Following daily racial justice protests, the City of Richmond removed its Confederate monuments. (Photo: Crixell Matthews/VPM News)
Richmond City Council is trying to put together a process for deciding where the Confederate monuments removed last year should end up.
The city received requests for ownership from 22 groups and individuals, ranging from the U.S. Navy’s historic preservation arm to neo-Confederate activists. They’re asking for one or more of the 14 Confederate statues and iconography taken down last year.
The decision to remove the monuments came after a summer of near-nightly protests for racial justice and against police brutality. Protesters toppled three Confederate statues and one of Christopher Columbus before the city decided to remove the rest, citing public safety concerns.
Dr. Woodson
Dr. Willie Woodson wore multiple hats as a Richmond faith leader.
Along with serving as a Presbyterian pastor for more than 30 years, he maintained a busy schedule of community activities, from mentoring city public school students to leading community programs honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and running an anti-crime organization.
Known for his cheerful manner and warm smile, he âwas a workaholic,â said his sister, Felicia Woodson. âHe started working when he was 8 years old and he never stopped.â
A Richmond native and U.S. Air Force veteran, Dr. Woodsonâs contributions as a minister and civic leader are being remembered following his death Friday, Dec. 4, 2020. His family said he succumbed to a heart condition. He was 72. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.