Culture Jul 13, 2026 Charlottesville's Lee statue melted down, transformed into 'racial diversity' monument "To transform the very material of a monument is to acknowledge that history cannot be erased, but it can be reimagined." Charlottesville's Lee statue melted down, transformed into 'racial diversity' monument Image Libby Emmons Brooklyn NY Jul 13, 2026 4 minute read A statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was at the heart of the Charlottesville protests in 2017, followed by the Unite the Right rally where Heather Heyer was killed. The rally was funded in part by the SPLC, which paid for so-called informants...