The Board of Directors of the Monument Avenue Preservation Society stands in opposition to racism and oppression. We support our neighbors of all races in our collective quest for justice and equality. Black lives matter, and we support the initiatives to remove the Confederate monuments from Monument Avenue.
For too long, we have overlooked the inherent racism of these monuments, and for too long we have allowed the grandeur of the architecture to blind us to the insult of glorifying men for their roles in fighting to perpetuate the inhumanity of slavery.
When Mayor Stoney’s Commission recommended removing the statue of Jefferson Davis and adding context to the remaining Confederate monuments, we felt like we were moving forward to a thoughtful reconciliation of the issue. Unfortunately, too much time has passed without any meaningful action to design or implement any additional context. We feel that moment has passed.
If our silence has been perceived as approval of the intimidation implied by the monuments, we apologize. Hear us now: we support the decisions of the governor, the mayor and city council to remove the monuments. We look forward to being a part of the re-envisioning of the future of our avenue.