Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement Monday morning that a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, representing his state, was removed from the US Capitol’s National Statuary Hall Collection.
The statue had stood at the US Capitol for 111 years, as one of the two statues representing Virginia for over a century, the other being one of President George Washington.
The move came as the result of a state commission decision taken last week upon a request from Gov. Northam. “We should all be proud of this important step forward for our Commonwealth and our country,” Northam said in a press release.
“The Confederacy is a symbol of Virginia’s racist and divisive history, and it is past time we tell our story with images of perseverance, diversity and inclusion,” the governor continued. “I look forward to seeing a trailblazing young woman of color represent Virginia in the U.S. Capitol, where visitors will learn about Barbara Johns’ contributions to America and be empowered to create positive change in their communities just like she did.”
Last night, Virginia removed its statue of Robert E. Lee from the U.S. Capitol.
This is an important step forward—it is past time we tell our story with images of perseverance, diversity, and inclusion. pic.twitter.com/zyR99ukiIz
— Governor Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) December 21, 2020
According to the decision of the Commission for Historical Statues in the US Capitol, civil rights icon Barbara Rose Johns will replace the Robert E. Lee statue. A statue honoring Johns was selected as a replacement based on opinions of Virginia residents collected via virtual public hearings. She is known as an advocate against school segregation and led walk-out protests as a teenager.
“This is a historic and long-overdue moment for our Commonwealth,” Reps. Donald McEachin and Jennifer Wexton said in a statement.
Every state is allowed to have two statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection.