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New Orleans lawmakers are in the midst of considering whether to break with its Confederate past by removing longstanding monuments that pay homage to the state’s fight in the Civil War to preserve slavery.

The City Council is scheduled to vote Thursday on an ordinance to remove four monuments, including a towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, according to The Associated Press via ABC News:

If approved, this would be one of the most sweeping gestures yet by an American city to sever ties with Confederate history.

“This has never happened before,” said Charles Kelly Barrow, commander-in-chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. “I’ve never heard of a city trying to sweep (away) all Confederate monuments.”

Geographers have identified at least 872 parks, natural features, schools, streets and other locations named for major Confederate leaders in 44 states, according to a mapping project. Barrow said more than a thousand statues and monuments and countless plaques also honor Confederate battles and heroes.

We hope the City Council does the right thing and votes to remove these remnants of the nation’s racist past, whose impact continues to resonate today.

SOURCE: ABC News | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

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It’s About Time: New Orleans Weighs Removing Confederate Monuments  was originally published on newsone.com