Re “Strange fruit? Critic: Oak evokes lynching image at Walker statue site,” Dec. 24-26 edition:

Dr. Kim Coder of the Warnell School of Forestry at the University of Georgia wrote in November 2010 that the “live oak is an ecological and cultural icon of the Southern United States.

… They are life centers and life generators wherever they grow. Live oaks also represent a marker for the history of this nation, and the nations which have come before. Today live oak represent both a biological and social heritage. For humans, live oaks generate awe, reverence, utility and a sense of place … Live oak is symbolic of history, survival, struggle, and romance … live oaks are an emblem of both the old and new South. Live oak lined drives, streets and squares make them the pillars of their communities.”

The symbolic description of the tree regarding history, survival, struggle, romance, an emblem of both the old and new South, pillars of the community etc., is also complimentary to the statue and remembrance of the legend of Maggie L. Walker.

Both the tree and the planned statue would be focal points at the entry into one of Richmond’s most historic communities. Both represent positive images of the neighborhood and the city of Richmond, and are “a marker for the history of this nation.”

The proposed park, with both the tree and the statue, will mark a place of “awe, reverence ... and a sense of place.”

ERIC W. JOHNSON

Richmond