Welcomed, yet unexpected, citizens of nations throughout the world, inspired by visuals of the brutal murder of George Floyd, have also chosen this time to address the evils of abuse and oppression that impact them.

Wikipedia reports: “As part of the worldwide George Floyd protests, members of the Black Lives Matter movement have also removed or defaced statues of other historical figures that were responsible for large-scale suffering of Black people.

Local political leaders are planning and removing Confederate monuments while Congress has resolved to remove statues of Confederate leaders from the Capitol’s Statuary Hall and to rename military installations which honor Confederate leaders.

To African Americans, the Confederate flag and other symbols embody the hatred and brutality of slavery, and discrimination in the post Civil War America.

Some argue that these symbols are cultural icons that only represent southern heritage.