Among changes to remove Confederate images
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point plans over the holidays to remove, rename or modify artwork that commemorates the Confederacy, its superintendent said on Tuesday (Dec. 20).
The changes follow recommendations by the Congressional Naming Commission. The Army said it will move three items into storage: a 20-foot-high portrait of Gen. Robert E. Lee in his Confederate uniform that hangs in the library; a stone bust of Lee at Reconciliation Plaza; and a bronze triptych at the entrance of Bartlett Hall that includes an image celebrating the Ku Klux Klan.
A committee will also select a quote to replace one from Lee at Honor Plaza and modify stone markers at Reconciliation Plaza that commemorate the Confederacy. The academy will also rename streets, buildings and areas that honor Lee, Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard and Gen. William Hardee.
“We will conduct these actions with dignity and respect,” said Superintendent Steven Gilland in a statement.
