VMI votes to remove Stonewall Jackson statue amid racism accusations by Black cadets
Source: Washington Post
Virginia Military Institute’s Board of Visitors voted Thursday to remove the prominent statue of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson as pressure builds for the state-supported military school to address allegations of racism. The Board’s vote follows a tumultuous month for the 181-year-old school in Lexington, where Black cadets described an atmosphere of hostility and bigotry.
The Board’s decision follows a Washington Post report this month detailing relentless racism at the school. As a result, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) ordered an independent investigation into the school’s culture. VMI’s superintendent, retired General J.H. Binford Peay III, resigned Monday in the wake of the controversy.
It is unclear where the statue of Jackson — an enslaver of six people who taught at the school before helping to lead the Confederate Army — will go. The board’s chairman, Bill Boland, suggested it might be transferred to the New Market, the Civil War battlefield where several VMI cadets lost their lives. “I would rather move the statue once rather than twice,” Boland said, adding that the administration should recommend its final resting spot.
Jackson’s presence in front of the student barracks has always rankled many students, especially Black cadets. Up until a few years ago, students had to salute the statue when they passed it. This year, Black alumni launched a campaign to remove the Jackson statue. VMI officials resisted, but reversed course Thursday.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/vmi-stonewall-jackson-statue-racism/2020/10/29/fc3b9490-1a05-11eb-aeec-b93bcc29a01b_story.html
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Wow. That’s huge. VMI isn’t one to make changes.
