Wednesday, July 7, 1999
By JEREMY M. LAZARUS
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer

A series of proposed images for the Canal Walk floodwall gallery was offered Wednesday to resolve a controversy over the depiction of Confederate Gen.Robert E. Lee. The series was also offered with an invitation for public review and comment.

Under the proposal put forward, a new image of Gen.Lee would be included in a revised five-part segment on the Civil War. That segment would include a photograph of the general standing outside his Richmond residence.

The release of the image series was quickly greeted with criticism. The critics list was topped by Councilman Sa'ad El-Amin, whose initial protest of a Lee image on the floodwall brought it down. In fact, two members of the advisory committee that offered the series, Melvin D. Law of the Richmond Crusade for Voters, and Sylvia Wood of the NAACP said the latest depiction of Lee did not meet their approval.

The series was released by a 19-member group selected by Richmond Renaissance following a controversy that was sparked after the Lee image was yanked. Renaissance, an inter-racial group that promotes Downtown, is composed of prominent figures in the city, but it is controlled by the corporate community.

The Richmond Historic Riverfront Foundation, which approved the first larger-than-life Lee image, released the series approved by the Renaissance group.

The segment would also include scenes from battles around Richmond in 1862 and 1864 and images of two other people--Powhatan Beatty, a black Union soldier who won the Medal of Honor for heroism, and President Abraham Lincoln during his visit to the ruined Confederate capital after the city's surrender.

Other proposed enhancements include the addition of a segment on "justice". This addition would feature portraits of 19th century white Chief Justice John Marshall and 20th century African-American U.S. Appeals Court Judge Spottswood W. Robinson, III. Dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson would be removed and crusading journalist John Mitchell and sculptor Moses Ezekial would be new additions to the wall.

The final decision on what images would be shown to the public was made Tuesday night at a meeting that included about 12 members of the committee.

"This is an improvement, but it doesn't go far enough," Mr. Law said. He and Mrs. Wood urged that Gen.Lee be depicted surrendering to winning Union Gen.Ulysses S. Grant--an image used in Richmond high school texts--to show graphically that "the Civil War is over."

Councilman El-Amin, after learning of the proposed new image of Lee, repeated a statement that he made Tuesday to a reporter that he will never accept an image of Lee "even if he is shown on his knees."

Mr.El-Amin said he has already received repeated threats to his life and his family's life already, but that he will maintain the opposition. He noted that 15 public places in Richmond already pay tribute to the Civil War loser who fought for slavery, from the largest statue in the community to bridges and schools.

The floodwall needs to be kept clean of the Lee image, he said. He said he has rescinded all conciliatory statements he made last week. He said he now believes that every effort is being made to appease white people while there is little consideration for the feelings of African-Americans.

Mr. El-Amin's position was bolstered by the Richmond and state NAACP, which held a press conference on Tuesday announcing its full backing for the councilman and for his right to speak out.

He said he was not mollified that the committee is proposing other images.

"This is not about adding in people who were not included," he said. "The committee is missing the point. This is about whether the image of Lee should be on the floodwall. That image is offensive and I won't accept it."