AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Amid a racial reckoning and a movement to remove Confederate monuments, it’s proven difficult to take down those symbols that remain across the United States. The Southern Poverty Law Center says there are over 2,000 Confederate symbols in public spaces nationwide, including some at state Capitols. The organization says at least six Southern states have policies protecting those monuments. Historical preservation boards and Republican legislative majorities also have slowed the momentum, saying it’s important to preserve America’s past. Along with Confederate imagery, there are also efforts in some states to remove depictions of historical figures who mistreated Native Americans.

AP
A worker secures the statue of Confederate Naval officer Matthew Fontaine Maury to a truck on Monument Avenue, Thursday, July 2, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Maury was better known for his work in oceanography and other sciences before the Civil War. His statue is the second removed since a new state law was enacted on July first. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Posted
and last updated
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.