George Rogers Clark statue removed from UVA Grounds

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The George Rogers Clark statue was removed from UVA grounds on July 11, making it the fourth statue to come down in just 24 hours in Charlottesville. The removal was recommended in UVA’s Racial Equity Task Force’s report and approved by the Board of Visitors in September of 2020.

“I think this is a continual slap in the face to honor and somehow enshrine the despoilment of a people,” said Lisa Woolfork who attended the statue removal.

Some people said they felt joy as the statue was lifted off of it’s pedestal.

“This was a celebration of conquest and I don’t think we should be celebrating that,” said Grace Hays, who also attended the statue removal.

The removal cost UVA close to $400,000.

“I’m ecstatic, the statue when I was visiting, considering coming here as a student, is one of the first things I noticed and one of the things that almost prevented me from even coming here,” said removal advocate and co-president of the Native American Student Union, Zac Russell.

The statue depicts a scene of militia officers, armed with weapons, lunging toward Indigenous people.

“My hope is that this can be the first step in the larger process of University of Virginia, repairing the harm that this represents, increasing Native American students, faculty and Native American studies as a discipline,” said Lisa Woolfork.

The removal is projected to take nearly a week to complete. UVA has not released where the statue will be moved permanently.

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