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Robert E. Lee Monument is Dedicated in Richmond, Virginia
After his death in 1870, a group of Virginians wanted to erect a monument to the former Confederate "General in Chief" in the former Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. (Photo credit: By E. Benjamin Andrews-Wikipedia) -
Maggie L. Walker Founds an African American Bank in Richmond
Maggie L. Walker, the daughter of a former slave, used her position in the charity organization, Independent Order of Saint Luke's, to found a newspaper and a bank for African Americans living in Richmond's Jackson Ward neighborhood. She was later recognized as the first woman to found a bank and Jackson Ward became known as the "Black Wall Street" of the south (https://www.virginia.org/blackhistory). Photo credit: https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/Maggie_Walker/index.html. -
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson Lobbies for Jackson Ward's First Traffic Light
After witnessing some kids nearly get hit by a car on their way to school, tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson lobbied the General Assembly to install a traffic light in Jackson's Ward to protect students walking to school, resulting in Jackson Ward's first traffic light (https://www.virginia.org/blackhistory). Photo credit: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bill-Robinson -
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City Redevelopment of Jackson's Ward
During this time, multiple efforts were made by the all-white city council to redevelop and rezone Jackson's Ward, hiring lawyers for the project (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Ward). These negotiations were a big factor in Jackson's Ward becoming a hub for the Civil Rights Movement. -
Tar Paper Shacks Built at Moton High School
After black parents appealed to white parents about the overcrowding of the all black Moton High School, tar paper shacks were built for student overflow, leading to student protests and a debate about separate but equal conditions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Rose_Johns). Photo credit: richmond.com. -
Barbara Johns Sparks Protest at Moton High
After the building of the tar shacks at Moton High School, student Barbara Johns organized a student protest. A few days later, NAACP lawyers got involved and filed court case Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County. After the court upheld school segregation, the case was taken to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was one of four cases that made up Brown v. Board of Education (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Rose_Johns). Photo credit: www.zinnedproject.org -
Bradley v. Richmond School Board
Despite the outcome of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, Virginia resisted desegregation and put many legislative roadblocks in place. In 1970, Federal District Judge Robert Merhige, Jr. ordered a citywide busing program in Richmond to help integrate schools. This triggered white flight to county and private schools, despite Richmond's mayor sending his kids to traditionally black schools (virginiahistory.org). Desegregation continued into the 80s. Photo credit: Richmond Times Dispatch -
R.E. Lee Monument is Refurbished
In December of 2006 the Robert E. Lee Monument in Richmond is extensively cleaned and repaired (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Lee_Monument_(Richmond,_Virginia)). This shows that the city of Richmond and the state of Virginia still cling to its Confederate history. Photo credit: wikipedia -
R. E. Lee Statue Listed on NRHP
In 2007 the statue was added to the National Register of Historic Places (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Lee_Monument_(Richmond,_Virginia). Photo credit: Richmond Times Dispatch -
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Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, VA
On the weekend of August 11-12, 2017, white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia in response to local calls to remove Confederate monuments. These protestors violently clashed with counter protesters, protestor Heather Heyer was killed in a hit and run attack, and two Virginia State troopers were killed in a helicopter crash while attempting to respond to the violence (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unite_the_Right_rally). -
Calls to Remove the Richmond R.E. Lee Monument
In response to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, local leaders and members of the public began to call for the removal of the Confederate monument (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Lee_Monument_(Richmond,_Virginia). -
Murder of George Floyd
On May 25, 2020, a police officer murdered George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This event sparked a world-wide social movement against police brutality (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_George_Floyd). Many Confederate monuments across the United States were torn down and defaced with graffiti in protest, including the Richmond monument. Photo credit: www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond -
Shooting of Tony McDade
Two days after the murder of George Floyd, a police officer fatally shot a transgender man, Tony McDade while responding to a stabbing call (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Tony_McDade). A tribute to McDade is spray painted on the R.E. Lee Monument in Richmond, along with tributes to Floyd and other black victims of police brutality (https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/robert-e-lee-monument-6152020-02e79fffd8d549d6bafd8fd680ccbdf5). Photo credit: https://sketchfab.com -
Robert E. Lee Monument is Vandalized
After the death of George Floyd, the R.E. Lee Monument was heavily vandalized and painted (https://sketchfab.com). The monument is also home to calls for peace and memorials for people killed at the hands of police. The vandalized statue became a symbol for the anti-police brutality movement. The statue still stands, and it is under debate whether to remove the statue or not. It has arguably become something far different than it was sculpted to represent. Photo credit: richmondbizsense.com