In the wake of the Charleston church shooting in June 2015 , several municipalities in the United States removed monuments and memorials on public property dedicated to the Confederate States of America . The momentum accelerated in August 2017 after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville , Virginia . The removals were driven by the belief that the monuments glorify white supremacy and memorialize a treasonous government whose founding principle was the perpetuation and expansion of slavery . Those objecting believe that the artifacts are part of the cultural heritage of the southern United States
Charleston church shooting
Charleston church shooting
Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials