and Monument Avenue

Andy Perez UNIV 112 MWF11:00 Background

❖ Richmond’s Monument Avenue runs from the west end of the city to The Fan neighborhood, near the main campus of Commonwealth University ❖ Largely known for the 6 monuments that exist on its pavement ➢ 4 of those are commemorated to Confederate leaders during the , including CSA President and General Robert E. Lee The

❖ Located on the intersection of Monument Avenue and Roseneath Road ❖ Sculpted by Paul DiPasquale ❖ Was unveiled in 1996 Cross Hatching: Location

❖ When the Ashe monument location was determined through a council meeting, Richmond residents voiced their displeasure with the council’s decision ❖ People that do not know Richmond’s history and culture like the city’s residents would not understand the controversy of placing the Ashe Monument on Monument Avenue ❖ Richmond residents see the Ashe monument as misplaced: ➢ Some believe that the monument breaks the continuity of Confederate statues on the avenue; considering that Arthur Ashe was African American and the men being commemorated were from a place that promoted slavery and white supremacy ➢ Others see the monument at the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center, like how some stadiums have statues of notable past players Differences in Design

❖ In comparing the design of the Arthur Ashe Monument and the other monuments, there are some obvious contrasts: ➢ Size ➢ Style of Monument Cross Hatching: Differences in Design

❖ A main gripe that residents have when comparing the Ashe Monument to the Confederate memorials is the size comparison. ➢ One side sees the fact that a successful colored man who was a prominent figure in the education of HIV/AIDS has a smaller monument than a couple of men that represent inhumane; so someone like Ashe has to have a monument that better represents the grand importance of Ashe’s life and humanitarian work. Another side just ignores the differences between the monuments overall. ❖ Another gripe is the design itself ➢ The Confederate statues show the men in heroic poses ➢ Arthur Ashe looks like he is going to whack the kids sitting in front of him with his tennis racket and books Cross Hatching: Recurring Theme

❖ The topic that pops up in the conversation of the monuments is the ethnicity of the men being memorialized on the Avenue. With racial equality always being a front-page issue, people could claim racism when comparing the Ashe monument to the Confederate statues. ❖ For Ashe, the location and the design of the monument itself could have been better. If Monument Avenue is supposed to be only for Civil War memorials, then his monument does not fit with the theme of the avenue. The design could have been improved to show Ashe in a more constructive state, not where he looks like he is going to beat children. ❖ The Confederate statues could also be moved in favor of other future monuments that commemorate other Richmond citizens that have been important to society. They could be moved to a location that is commemorated to the history of the Civil War. Works Cited ❖ Kutner, Brad. “The History of the Arthur Ashe Monument in Richmond.” Style Weekly, Style Weekly, 22 Aug. 2017, www.styleweekly.com/richmond/the-history-of-the-arthur-ashe-monument-in-richmond/Cont ent?oid=4237161. ❖ Jim. Arthur Ashe Monument. Richmond, VA, 30 Apr. 2006, www.flickr.com/photos/rvaphotodude/3140248336/in/album-72157611506742238/. ❖ Jim. Close-Up of Arthur Ashe Monument. Richmond, VA, 30 Apr. 2006, www.flickr.com/photos/rvaphotodude/albums/72157611506742238. ❖ Falbisoner, Martin. Statue Robert E. Lee. Richmond, VA, 7 Sept. 2013, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_Robert_E._Lee_Richmond.JPG. ❖ Hathorn, Billy. Monument Avenue sign. Richmond, VA, 26 July 2011, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monument_Avenue_sign,_Richmond,_VA_IMG_4064.JPG. ❖ Monument avenue. Richmond, VA, 5 Feb. 2005, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monument_avenue_richmond_virginia.jpg.