Doubts about the monument were expressed in 2015 after the racially motivated Charleston church shooting , with one citizen asking , " Is it something that we want to take pride in anymore when so many people are offended by it ? " Protesters said the statue celebrated slavery and racism , while others argued that removing the monument meant removing history . The controversy was reignited in 2017 after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville . The monument is one of two monuments in Houston dedicated to the Confederacy ; the other is the sculpture for Richard W. Dowling
Charleston church shooting
Charleston church shooting
Spirit of the Confederacy