A statue of black tennis icon Arthur Ashe was vandalized with “White Lives Matter” graffiti in Richmond, Virginia.
A white man who gave his name as “Everybody” was seen spraying graffiti on the statue on Wednesday after describing feelings of frustration with the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Don’t all lives matter?” the man asked. “I’m not a racist. I just don’t agree with people desecrating property.”
This guy who said his name is “everyone” and a graduate of Benedictine High School just spray painted the Arthur Ashe monument with “white lives matter.” #richmondprotests pic.twitter.com/SBMyIvg6qs
— Chris Suarez (@Suarez_CM) June 17, 2020
The Black Lives Matter movement has been heightened across the country after the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
Protests across the country have aimed to raise awareness about racial injustice and police brutality, calling for systemic change across several institutions. A number of monuments and statues deemed to be representations of historical oppression have been vandalized or destroyed as part of the larger movement to rid the nation of symbols associated with racism.
The defacing of the Ashe statue has raised concerns from activists worried that monuments for African Americans could be targeted by those seeking retribution for the vandalism of statues dedicated to Confederate leaders and other problematic historical figures. “BLM” graffiti could be seen spray-painted in red over “WLM” spray-painted in white.
The Ashe statue was a challenge to get for the city’s promenade, which is best known for its monuments dedicated to the Confederacy, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. Ashe was the first black man to win Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the Australian Open as well as a Richmond native. He died in 1993.
