Applaud Virginia for Removing Confederate Monuments

Public spaces should reflect the values communities choose to honor today, and Virginia deserves applause for removing three Confederate memorials from Capitol Square in Richmond.

The statues honored Confederate Generals Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and William “Extra Billy” Smith, as well as Confederate physician Hunter Holmes McGuire. After more than a century on prominent public grounds near the state Capitol, Virginia lawmakers ordered their removal during the 2026 legislative session.

Removing these monuments does not erase history. As former state Sen. Adam Ebbin put it, it changes “who we choose to venerate on the Capitol lawn.” The statues will be preserved and relocated to battlefield sites, where they can be viewed in a historical context rather than as symbols of public honor.

Communities have every right to reconsider which figures and causes deserve places of prominence in shared civic spaces. Public monuments are not neutral—they reflect choices about whose stories, values, and legacies receive official recognition.

Virginia’s decision is another step toward ensuring that its public spaces better represent the people who live there today while preserving history for education and reflection.

Add your name to applaud Virginia for removing Confederate monuments from places of honor, preserving history in appropriate settings, and creating public spaces that reflect a more inclusive future.