It only took 156 years. It also took several high-profile actions and events â like the 2017 âUnite the Rightâ rally of white supremacists in Charlottesville â to galvanize opposition to the symbols of white supremacy that stood unashamed and unchallenged in public squares across the South. But society has changed â society is always changing â and with it, the level of tolerance available for symbols of the Confederacy. In 2020, 168 symbols of the Confederacy were removed from public spaces, according to a recent report from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Twenty-four of those were in North Carolina; 71 in Virginia. Alabama and Texas tied for third with 12 each.