June 4, 1999

Councilman Sa'ad El-Amin

Thanks to a protest led by a lone member of the Richmond City Council, a portrait of General Robert E. Lee slated to hang along the city's new Canal Walk has been removed as "offensive to some members of the community."

Sa'ad El-Amin, a Yale-educated attorney who represents Richmond's 6th District, was angered when he saw a photograph in the Richmond Times-Dispatch of workmen hanging the General's likeness along a floodwall that forms part of an outdoor museum adjacent to the Richmond Riverfront Development Corporation's Canal Walk, which opened today along the Haxall and Kanawha canals. The Lee portrait was one of 29 murals that feature famous Virginians such as Chief Powhatan, poet Edgar Allan Poe, dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and Gabriel Prosser (the leader of a pre-War slave revolt) and events including the burning of Richmond at the end of the War Between the States.

El-Amin took his complaint to Richmond Riverfront Development Corporation executive director James J. McCarthy, who met with the councilman and corporation president Brenton S. Halsey for more than three hours and eventually caved in to El-Amin's demand that the image be removed "...or we jam."

[Click HERE to read more about Councilman El-Amin and his stance on the General's likeness]

El-Amin was quoted in a June 3 Times-Dispatch article as comparing General Lee to Adolph Hitler and asserting that the hanging of Lee's image was the moral equivalent of publicly displaying Hitler's portrait in Israel. "He is offensive to the African-American community because of what he stood for," including slavery. "He is a pariah in my community." At day's end, El-Amin was claiming victory, saying "We got what we wanted. The mural's coming down."

Artist's rendering from Richmond Riverfront Development Corp. Web site

James E. Rogers, president of the Richmond Historic Riverfront Foundation, issued the following statement with regard to the removal of General Lee's likeness: "While we are disappointed in this reaction and have tried to create a balanced historical gallery, we look forward to the completion of the full gallery and obtaining broad-based community support. This is a community project, and we want all members of the community to feel good about it."

Unfortunately for Councilman El-Amin and his backers, a very large segment of the community does NOT feel good about the decision at all. Included in this group is Richmond's mayor Timothy M. Kaine, who was quoted in today's Times-Dispatch as saying that he would have opted for the General to remain on the floodwall if anyone had asked his opinion. "I was surprised. All of the decisions were made before I heard about it."

Mayor Kaine also pointed out that, 25 years ago, blacks probably would not have been included on the wall at all. "We've come a long way. To tell the history of this city, we have to be inclusive."

Speaking yesterday at a press conference called by the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), Virginia Division Commander Robert W. Barbour said, "The removal of this artwork from this project which is designed to bring people together and attract tourists to this city while showing off the rich heritage of Virginia is an affront to every right thinking person. Until the mural is returned, we urge every citizen to boycott this project...."

[Click HERE to read a statement from the Commander, Virginia Division SCV]
[Click HERE to read a statement from the President, Virginia Division UDC]
[Click HERE to read the full text of a speech made by Mrs. Mark R. Allen at the June 13 rally in support of returning General Lee's image to the floodwall]

Lieutenant Commander Henry Kidd followed Barbour's statement with the following plea: "I would ask those folks who are against this to study the man, to study the man's moral values....He was one of the greatest Americans who ever lived. He gave his talents, his life and his devotion to this country."

Pointing out that Lee was not an advocate of slavery and that he fought for the South because he could not bring himself to raise his sword against his native Virginia, Kidd added, "To ignore the Confederacy is to ignore an important part of Virginia's history."

Barbour's press conference, which was held at the foot of the General's statue on Monument Avenue, was attended by members of the SCV and the United Daughters of the Confederacy's Virginia Division. Division President Mrs. John H. Gum of Churchville commented, "I fail to see how a mural depicting one of our nation's most moral, courageous and upstanding statesmen could ever be considered offensive."

At issue here is not just whether General Lee will be returned to his rightful spot along the Canal Walk floodwall. What's at stake is nothing less than the future of our heritage and our heroes. If Councilman El-Amin's attack on one of Virginia's noblest sons is allowed to go unchallenged, what will be the next target of those so blinded by hatred that they would rewrite history to exclude all reference to the brave men and women of the Confederacy?

You are urged to contact any or all of the following and let your voice be heard:

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
Stephen R. Adkins Assistant chief, Chickahominy Tribe 7240 Adkins Rd. Charles City, VA 23030 Tommy Baer Former president, B'nai B'rith International 5500 Monument Ave. Richmond, VA 23226 (804) 673-6600 Del. Viola Baskerville (D-Richmond) 3223 Hawthorne Ave. Richmond, VA 23222 (804) 698-1171 Rev. Dr. Paige Chargois National assistant director for Hope in Cities 8314 Fulham Ct. Richmond, VA 23227 (804) 261-6501 Dr. Renard A. Charity Civic leader and Richmond physician 101 Cowardin Ave. Richmond, VA 23224 Father Constantine Dombalis Dean Emeritus, Greek Orthodox Cathedral 304 Sandlewood Dr. Richmond, VA 23229 C. Hobson Goddin Lay Civil War historian and attorney 2124 Stuart Ave. Richmond, VA 23220 Del. Dwight C. Jones, D-Richmond Pastor, First Baptist Church 1501 Decatur St. Richmond, VA 23224 (804) 233-7679 Mayor Timothy Kaine Mayor of Richmond 1111 E. Main St. Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 780-7977 Melvin Law Chairman, Richmond Crusade for Voters 3505 Montrose Ave. Richmond, VA 23222 (804) 321-1924 Sen. Henry L. Marsh III, D-Richmond State senator 3211 Q St. Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 648-9073	Dr. William W. Martin Community volunteer and physician 29 Willway Ave. Richmond, VA 23226 (804) 323-7575 Mary Tyler McClenahan Civic leader Board chairwoman, Richmond Cruade for Voters 4703 Pocahontas Ave. Richmond, VA 23226 (804) 359-4376 Rev. Ralph Reavis Pastor, Riverview Baptist Church Professor of history, Virginia Union University 3706 W. Weyburn Rd. Richmond, VA 23235 (804) 320-0807 Robert W. Shinn Retired pastor, Fourth Baptist Church c/o CSX Corp. 901 East Cary St. Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 782-1400 Rev. Robert Taylor c/o Fourth Baptist Church 2800 P. St. Richmond, VA 23223 (804) 266-5443 Richard Tilghman Chairman and CEO, Crestar Financial 5104 Cary Street Richmond, VA 23226 (804) 273-7737 Anne Marie Whittemore Former chairwoman, Fifth District Federal Reserve Bank Attorney 1 Huntley Rd. Richmond, VA 23226 (804) 775-4359 (W); (804) 285-4632 (H) Sylvia Wood State employee Volunteer chairwoman, Richmond Branch NAACP c/o Richmond Branch, NAACP 214 E. Clay St. Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 644-9337
[Thanks to Janet Randolph Chapter member Pat Wood and J.E.B. Stuart Camp Commander Rob Pettus for providing the contact information for this listing.]

Richmond Historic Riverfront Foundation
101 Shockoe Slip, Suite 0
Richmond, VA 23219
Telephone: (804) 697-3500
FAX: (804) 697-3535 [preferred method of communication]

Richmond Riverfront Development Corporation (804) 648-6549 [snail-mail address will be posted when available] James J. McCarthy Executive Director Brenton Halsey President

City Councilman Sa'ad El-Amin
Office telephone: (804) 264-2375
Voice-mail: (804) 780-5408
FAX: (804) 264-2896 4221 Chamberlayne Avenue
Richmond, VA 23227

Timothy Kaine, Mayor of Richmond
kainetm@ci.richmond.va.us

James S. Gilmore III, Governor of Virginia
http://www.state.va.us/governor/
State Capitol
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Phone: (804) 786-2211
Fax: (804) 371-6351
E-mail: http://www.state.va.us/governor/govmail.htm

John H. Hager, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
ltgov@ltgov.state.va.us
900 E. Main Street, Suite 1400
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 786-2078
TDD Phone Number: 1-800-828-1120
Fax Number: (804) 786-7514