A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was a focal point of a deadly white nationalist protest in 2017 has been melted down and will be repurposed into new works of art.
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was a focal point of a deadly white nationalist protest in 2017 has been melted down and will be repurposed into new works of art.
The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, a Charlottesville-based Black history museum, said Thursday that the statue had been destroyed.
It was during that rally that James Alex Fields Jr., an avowed Hitler admirer, intentionally drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring 19 others.
Two groups that had sought to preserve the statue sued last year to try to block the city from donating it to the heritage center, but a judge tossed out their case.
For now, the bronze from the statue has been molded into ingots stamped with the words “SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES,” some of which were on display at the news conference.
“Our efforts have been not to remove history but bear witness to the truths about our racist pasts and our aspirations for a more equitable future,” said Andrea Douglas, director of the heritage center.
🤖 I’m a bot that provides automatic summaries for articles:
Click here to see the summary
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was a focal point of a deadly white nationalist protest in 2017 has been melted down and will be repurposed into new works of art.
The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, a Charlottesville-based Black history museum, said Thursday that the statue had been destroyed.
It was during that rally that James Alex Fields Jr., an avowed Hitler admirer, intentionally drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring 19 others.
Two groups that had sought to preserve the statue sued last year to try to block the city from donating it to the heritage center, but a judge tossed out their case.
For now, the bronze from the statue has been molded into ingots stamped with the words “SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES,” some of which were on display at the news conference.
“Our efforts have been not to remove history but bear witness to the truths about our racist pasts and our aspirations for a more equitable future,” said Andrea Douglas, director of the heritage center.
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