14 organizations interested in acquiring Confederate statues removed from Charlottesville

Various organizations and private citizens from across the country have expressed interest in rehoming the statues of two Confederate generals removed from public viewing in Charlottesville, Va., Bloomberg reports.

At least 13 organizations, one municipality and at least 18 individuals have inquired about the statues of Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Both statues were removed from parks in the city in recent years.

The Charlottesville City Council remains undecided on how to handle the statues, and whether they should be given to a museum or city or be demolished.

One of the statues, of Lee, was directly involved in the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally that took over the city and left one person dead. The Charlottesville City Council originally voted to remove the statue following the incident, however it was taken down earlier this month, ending a years-long effort to have it removed from public view.

Among those who are vying for possession of the statues are the town of Goshen in Rockbridge County, the Jim Crow Museum in Big Rapids, Mich., the Gettysburg Sculpture Museum in Pa., the Confederate Gen. Robert Toombs Camp in Higgston, Ga., and the Controversial Art Trust in Charlotte, N.C. The only local institution to request the statues so far is The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center.

As of July 13, the city council is still accepting requests from those interested in taking the statues. In September, interested parties will be evaluated further to determine the best placement for them.

The nearby city of Richmond, Va., also removed controversial confederate statues last year.

“As the capital city of Virginia, we have needed to turn this page for decades,” Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney (D) said at the time. “And today we will.”