Another Confederate statue in Richmond has, at long last, been removed. This time, it’s the state of Matthew Fontaine Maury, “a Virginian [who] resigned his commission as a US Navy commander and joined the Confederacy.” Or, as Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney describes him (see below), a “confederate naval commander.” Of course, as Mayor Stoney points out, removing these “symbols of injustice” is only part of the work to “transform systems built on that same hateful foundation,” but it’s certainly a welcome move towards achieving that goal.
IT’S DOWN!
The Matthew Fontaine Maury statue has been removed from its base. The monument titled after Maury’s nickname “Pathfinder of the Seas” was unveiled in Richmond in 1929 and sits at Monument and Belmont avenues. @8NEWS #RVA pic.twitter.com/uMT1aG8K4G
— Autumn Childress 8News (@achildresstv) July 2, 2020
The Maury statue is now on the flat bed. @myVPM pic.twitter.com/iN832M7J2s
— Roberto Roldan (@ByRobertoR) July 2, 2020
With Maury and two cannons plucked from Monument Avenue, workers say they’re done for the day. pic.twitter.com/yYEDtbTVML
— Laura Vozzella (@LVozzella) July 2, 2020
Forklift rolling up to the Maury statue on Monument Ave this morning. Work crews have been trickling in for the last hour or so. Looks like Maury is up next for removal! @RTDNEWS pic.twitter.com/fCR31Js5da
— Ali Sullivan (@AliSullivan9) July 2, 2020
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
