One person celebrating the removal of the statues was Zyahna Bryant, who was a high school student in 2016 and started a petition to remove Lee’s statue. “We must not continue to offer platforms and dedicate space to honor white supremacy and the legacies of those who fought to uphold it,” Bryant, now a third-year University of Virginia student, said. “This is a crucial first step in the right direction to tell a more historically accurate and complete story of this place and the people who call this place home.”