Yet another Confederate statue was retired from public sight early Saturday, August 19, only this time it was removed from a private institution that the people of Durham, North Carolina are well familiar with.
Upon discovering that the image of Robert E. Lee had been desecrated in Duke Chapel, officials overseeing affairs at Duke University decided to rid the property of his limestone likeness altogether. It is unclear exactly when the act of vandalism took place or who was involved, but what is known is that the person(s) responsible made their point by virtually destroying the statues face. According to Duke president Vincent Price, the decision to remove Lee's statue was made by consensus, after he consulted faculty, staff, students, and alumni about the value of preserving it on the university campus. Lee's was one of 10 statues lining the walls of Duke Chapel.
Saturday's development comes five days after a group of protesters in Durham helped build the current that would see officials and citizens across the nation confront the matter of Confederate monuments in their cities. One participant in the removal of the Durham statue [Takiyah Thompson] would be arrested in the days that followed, leading to supporters from around the country calling for her release. At least eight more protesters involved in the statue's removal were charged after scores of local activists turned themselves in together, in a show of solidarity with Thompson.
Source: nypost.com
