This archive report was first published on 24 July 2020.
Published on July 24, 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement has transformed into a worldwide movement for racial justice in America and Europe.
The movement's goal was to challenge the culture of police brutality against African-Americans, but it has also sparked a re-look at historical iconography in American and European cities.
There are strident calls for the removal of statues of confederate generals who fought on the losing side of the American civil war, as well as the continued use of the confederate flag in some states.
Protesters have also targeted statues of slave traders, colonialists, and other figures who represent a painful past.
However, the question remains: to what extent should we use today's morality and political ideology to determine whether or not a statue of a particular icon remains on the streets and town squares around the world?
History is not a pretty picture of a singular morality; it is a mosaic of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Walking down a street should be a walk through history, appreciating how history and society have progressed.
