Keep the Confederates on Monument Avenue to teach about the Lost Cause era, but add a monument to the United States Colored Troops for their valor during the Civil War. 

Fourteen veterans of the USCT were awarded Medals of Honor for their bravery in the 1864 Battle of New Market Heights near Richmond. The 1989 movie “Glory” tells the story.

Also, the USCT were among the first Union troops to enter Richmond when it fell to Union forces on April 3, 1865. 

The Confederate statues on Monument Avenue were erected during the post-Civil War Lost Cause era and were all made by the best sculptors of the time. The United States Colored Troops, likewise, ought to be honored with a high-quality work of art by a sculptor to be selected in an international competition. 

BOB SWISHER

Richmond