Thursday, July 15, 1999
By CARRIE JOHNSON AND GORDON HICKEY
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer

A committee formed to study images used for a historic gallery at Richmond's new Canal Walk recommended putting up 13 murals viewed last week by the public.

"But our position remains the same," said King Salim Khalfani, executive director of the Virgina State Conference of the NAACP, "No General Lee." Khalfani said he's not going to let the issue die and will continue the fight to get the Confederate general removed from the gallery.

"City Councilman Sa'ad El-Amin...said the Committee basically regurgitated what it thought the foundation wanted....El-Amin said the committee ignored votes against putting Lee's image on the wall that were taken by several predominantly black groups.

"If you add those votes up they far exceed the total number of votes cast by people who had seen the display..."

He insisted that blacks weren't included in the process from the beginning and still aren't being represented. "This is a validation of a white-supremacist position."

Earlier this week, El-Amin introduced a resolution asking the City Council to remove all of the images from the floodwall. A public hearing will be held July 26.

Del. Dwight Jones...said he wasn't there for the vote, but he agrees with it....He also said he thought the energy used to protest against Lee was misused.

"We should use our energy to fight for more of the economic pie" for blacks at the Canal Walk development....Jones said he hopes the City Council won't assert authority over the floodwall gallery and undermine the committee's work.

"Not to worry, said Mayor Timothy Kaine, who also is a member of the committee, "I feel quite confident the council is going to support the committee."