Dozens of Confederate symbols removed in wake of George Floyd's death
A statue of Confederate States President Jefferson Davis lies on the street after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Virginia, in June. Photo: Parker Michels-Boyce/AFP via Getty Images
59 Confederate symbols have been removed, relocated or renamed since anti-racism protests began over George Floyd's death, a new Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) report finds.
Why it matters: That's a marked increase on previous years, per the report, which points out just 16 Confederate monuments were withdrawn or renamed in 2019.
- Confederate monuments have been a flashpoint of Black Lives Matter protests this year, resulting in statues being torn down by demonstrators or removed by authorities.
By the numbers: Per the SPLC, since Floyd's May 25 death Confederate symbols have been removed from 38 monuments, one flag (Mississippi's) and one emblem that previously featured in a South Dakota community's police uniform.
- Five Confederate monuments have been relocated.
- 14 Confederate symbols have been renamed — eight schools, one college, two parks or trails (in California and Virginia), two roads (in Louisiana and Texas) and one body of water (in Virginia).
The big picture: The SPLC report finds almost 1,800 Confederate symbols remain on public land, including 725 monuments.
- The House voted last month to remove to Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol building as part of a broader national movement to eliminate symbols of racism and oppression.
- In June, President Trump signed an executive order denouncing protesters who've vandalized Civil War and World War II monuments, as demonstrators mostly targeted symbols of the Confederacy.
Go deeper: Pentagon effectively bans Confederate flag from military installations