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VA Governor: Confederate Statues Offensive

Governor Ralph Northam (D-Va)
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Governor Ralph Northam (D-Va)

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam says that the Confederate Statues in Richmond and that of General Robert E. Lee in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall are offensive.

He adds that he favors a commission to recommend a replacement for the statue of Lee.

The governor said the monuments represent a particular version of history that does not include everyone.

Northam added that that version has been given prominence and authority for far too long.

Local Communities Decide on Monuments

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Jefferson Davis Monument in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Newly empowered Democratic leaders in Virginia are pledging to let local governments remove Confederate monuments.

However, Northam said Thursday that he’s still weighing what to do with a towering, state-owned statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee.

At a news conference with legislative leaders and state officials, Northam also said discussions about that statue on Richmond's Monument Avenue are ongoing.

Northam unveiled multiple initiatives that he said were aimed at telling a more accurate and inclusive version of Virginia's past.

They include more funding for historic African American cemeteries and cultural sites and the creation of new highway markers.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.