Robert E. Lee Statue in Charlottesville, Virginia

The equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia, has been the site of significant contention since 2012. Debates surrounding the monument intensified in 2016 with the establishment of a City Council commission and escalated in 2017 to a violent rally that left dozens injured and one counter-protester dead. While proponents of removing the statue held that maintaining the monument reinforced a legacy of slavery and racism, others contended that removing it would erase history. In July 2021, city workers removed the statue, and in December 2021, lawmakers voted to melt it down, which occurred in October 2023 after the dismissal of several legal appeals. Currently, there are plans to turn the remains of the statue into ingots, which will be used in the creation of a new art piece. This case study explores the complexities and violence surrounding and associated with Confederate monuments in the United States.