Local Leaders Celebrate Removal of Confederate Memorials From Virginia Capitol

Amid ongoing Black Lives Matter protests, a statue of Robert E. Lee and eight Confederate busts have been removed from the Old House Chamber of the Virginia State Capitol building, the speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, Eileen Filler-Corn, confirmed Friday. Several local delegates have praised the latest monumental move.

"Virginia has a story to tell that extends far beyond glorifying the Confederacy, whose primary objective in the Civil War was to preserve an ideology that maintained the enslavement of human beings. It is time for our Capitol to truly reflect our history," Filler-Corn said in a statement shared on her official Twitter account.

Delegate Delores McQuinn of Richmond will chair the speaker's newly formed Advisory Group on State Capitol Artifacts, which will be "a bipartisan group of House members, historians and community leaders from across the Commonwealth," the statement noted.

The group will review possible further actions to be taken regarding House-controlled Confederate artifacts in the Capitol, the statement said.

McQuinn noted: "The artifacts of the Capitol are a painful reminder of the deep-rooted wounds of slavery and 401 years of oppression.

"I am proud of Speaker Filler-Corn for taking this action to not only remove these hateful symbols, but also create a process to make sure our State Capitol reflect our ideals," she said in the statement.

Delegate Jay Jones, of the 89th district of the Virginia House of Delegates, noted: "I applaud @EFillerCorn for removing the statues and busts of those who participated in the Confederacy from the Old House Chamber of the Virginia State Capitol this morning. We've got a story to tell and it's finally starting to being told the right way," in a post on his official Twitter account.

Virginia General Assembly member Lamont Bagby, of the 74th district of the Virginia House of Delegates, and chairman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, said: "If we are going to continue building a more inclusive and just Commonwealth, we must acknowledge and denounce the darkest parts of our nation's history, not celebrate them," in a post on his official Twitter account.

The removal of the statue and busts, which fall under the authority of the House of Delegates, was ordered by Filler-Corn "under the authority given by the Constitution of Virginia and the Rules of the House," according to a statement.

The artifacts recognizing the following individuals who participated in the Confederacy have been removed:

1. Joseph E. Johnston
2. Fitzhugh Lee
3. Alexander H. Stephens
4. Thomas Bocock
5. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson
6. James E.B. "Jeb" Stuart
7. Jefferson F. Davis
8. Matthew F. Maury

Many Black Lives Matter protests in recent weeks have entailed the destruction of Confederate statues in Virginia and other states.

Earlier this week, lawmakers got one step closer to removing statues of Confederate soldiers and other controversial figures from the U.S. Capitol building, despite more than half of House Republicans voting against the move.

The bill was passed a month after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered the removal of several portraits of former House speakers who served in the Confederacy. She also called for the removal of 10 "plainly racist" Confederate statues placed throughout the Capitol.

Demonstrations continue across the country as part of the Black Lives Matter movement in a renewed outcry against police brutality and racism following the killing of George Floyd, who died after being pinned to the ground with a knee on his neck during an arrest made by the Minneapolis Police Department.

The four officers involved in the incident were fired and later charged in Floyd's death. One of them was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, while the other three were charged with aiding and abetting murder.