Arthur Ashe, The Monument
It was not the man people contested, but the place. The Arthur Ashe monument spurred dialogue about Richmond’s cultural memory. Questions arose surrounding what story the city’s public art shares with the world, and indeed the world was now watching. Publications like the Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today and The Baltimore Sun covered the dispute which forced Richmond to merge its lauded history with those less told, especially on the city’s most historic avenue. Its new identity attempted to reconcile rifts in its community that for so long overlooked Richmond’s darker past. This section will outline the various rifts in Richmond’s community and some of the central arguments from both the proponents and opponents of the project.
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