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When I spoke about the
monuments earlier this summer, it was from an optimism that we can take the
power away from these statues by telling their true story, for the first time.
As I said in June, it is my
belief that, as they currently stand without explanation, the confederate
statues on Monument Avenue are a default endorsement of a shameful period in
our national and city history that do not reflect the values of inclusiveness,
equality and diversity we celebrate in today’s Richmond.
I wish they had never been
built.
Still, I believed that as a
first step, there was a need to set the historical record straight. That is why
I asked the Monument Avenue Commission to solicit public input and to suggest a
complete and truthful narrative of these statues, who built them and why they
were erected.
When it comes to these
complicated questions that involve history, slavery, Jim Crow and war, we all
must have the humility to admit that our answers are inherently inadequate.
These are challenges so fundamental to the history of our country,
commonwealth, and city that reducing them to the question of whether or not a
monument should remain is, by definition, an oversimplification.
But context is important in
both historical, and present day, perspectives. While we had hoped to use this
process to educate Virginians about the history behind these monuments, the
events of the last week may have fundamentally changed our ability to do so by
revealing their power to serve as a rallying point for division and intolerance
and violence.
These monuments should be
part of our dark past and not of our bright future. I personally believe they
are offensive and need to be removed. But I believe more in the importance of
dialogue and transparency by pursuing a responsible process to consider the
full weight of this decision.
Effective immediately, the
Monument Avenue Commission will include an examination of the removal and/or
relocation of some or all of the confederate statues.
Continuing this process will
provide an opportunity for the public to be heard and the full weight of this
decision to be considered in a proper forum where we can have a constructive
and civil dialogue.
Let me be clear: we will not
tolerate allowing these statues and their history to be used as a pretext for
hate and violence, or to allow our city to be threatened by white supremacists
and neo-Nazi thugs. We will protect our city and keep our residents safe.
As I said a few weeks ago,
our conversation about these Monuments is important. But what is more important
to our future is focusing on building higher-quality schools, alternatives to
our current public housing that provide dignity and safety for all, and
policies to provide opportunities for all Richmonders to succeed.
