CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was a focal point of a deadly white nationalist protest in 2017 has been melted down and will be repurposed into new works of art. The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, a Charlottesville-based Black history museum, said Thursday that the statue had been destroyed. Protests over the plan to remove the statue morphed into the violent “Unite the Right” rally in 2017. At a news conference Thursday, heritage center officials said they now plan to solicit proposals on how to repurpose the statue. “Our efforts have been not to remove history but bear witness to the truths about our racist pasts and our aspirations for a more equitable future,” said Andrea Douglas, director of the heritage center.

---

Persons: Confederate, Robert E, Lee, James Alex Fields Jr, Hitler, Heather Heyer, ”, Andrea Douglas Organizations: Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, Charlottesville City Locations: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va, Charlottesville