Statement from Dr. Ralph Northam on Confederate statues

Today, in response to the City of Charlottesville’s decision to remove the statue of Robert E. Lee from Emancipation Park, Dr. Ralph Northam released the following statement.

“I support City of Charlottesville’s decision to remove the Robert E. Lee statue. I believe these statutes should be taken down and moved into museums. As governor, I am going to be a vocal advocate for that approach and work with localities on this issue.

“We should also do more to elevate the parts of our history that have all too often been underrepresented. That means memorializing civil rights advocates like Barbara Johns and Oliver Hill, who helped move our Commonwealth closer towards equality.”