New Orleans Votes to Bring Down Memorials to White Supremacy

New Orleans’ city council voted Thursday to take down four major monuments dedicated to the Confederate rebellion that have stood in the city since the late 19th century. The statues include one commemorating Confederate army General Robert E. Lee, another honoring Confederate president Jefferson Davis, and another dedicated to Confederate General P.G. T. Beauregard, who designed the Confederate battle flag that is finally facing retirement in some cities after years of flying in the face of common sense.

Another memorial to be removed is an obelisk that commemorates the Battle of Liberty Place, an event that happened after the Civil War and was forged by a group who were unambiguous about preserving white supremacy. This battle was waged by The White League, an outfit similar to the Ku Klux Klan except in name and robe, and who fought the city police in September 1874 in defiance of the Reconstruction’s reconfiguration of city government—or, more plainly, against the integration of African Americans into the voting electorate and public office. This monument was briefly stored away from public view, but was restored as an open city marker thanks to a campaign led by Klan leader David Duke.