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Arthur Ashe Monument
Arthur Ashe monument, Richmond, Va.jpg
The monument in 2015
Artist Paul DiPasquale
Year 1996 (1996)
Medium Bronze sculpture
Subject Arthur Ashe
Dimensions 8.5 m (28 ft)
3.7 m (12 ft; sculpture only)
Location Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Coordinates 37°33′54″N 77°28′44″W / 37.5651°N 77.4790°W / 37.5651; -77.4790

The Arthur Ashe Monument is a bronze statue in Richmond, Virginia. It was created by artist Paul DiPasquale. This statue honors Arthur Ashe, a famous tennis player who grew up in Richmond. It stands on Monument Avenue, a street known for its historical statues.

What the Statue Looks Like

The statue is placed on a large granite base that is 16 feet tall. It is located in the middle of a traffic island where Monument Avenue meets Roseneath Road. The bronze statue itself is 12 feet tall.

It shows Arthur Ashe holding a tennis racket in one hand. In his other hand, he holds several books. Children are shown around him. The books are held higher than the tennis racket. This was a special request from Ashe himself. He wanted to show that education was more important to him than sports. Ashe faces west, looking towards the suburbs. The children around him face east.

Who Was Arthur Ashe?

Arthur Ashe was born in Richmond, Virginia, on March 10, 1943. When he was a child, Richmond had segregation. This meant that black and white people were kept separate. Because of this, Arthur was not allowed to play in some tennis tournaments. He also could not practice on the city's best courts.

In 1960, Ashe moved to St. Louis to attend Sumner High School. He later became a very successful tennis player. He was the first black player chosen for the United States Davis Cup team in 1981. He was also the only black man to win the singles title at three major tennis tournaments:

Arthur Ashe stopped playing tennis professionally in April 1980. He passed away on February 6, 1993, due to health issues. His body was honored at Virginia's Executive Mansion in Richmond.

About Monument Avenue

When the Arthur Ashe statue was built, Monument Avenue already had several statues. Most of these honored Generals of the Confederate States Army. There were also statues of Confederate States Navy Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury and Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

Some of these statues were very tall. For example, the Robert E. Lee Monument was 21 feet tall on a 40-foot base. The Davis Memorial stood on a 65-foot column. These monuments were built between 1890 and 1929. They were likely influenced by the idea that the Confederacy was right and heroic. This idea is sometimes called the Lost Cause of the Confederacy.

Building the Statue

Artist Paul DiPasquale met Arthur Ashe in 1992. Ashe gave him permission to design a statue of him. DiPasquale made nine drawings of Ashe before Ashe passed away in 1993. After Ashe's death, his wife, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, approved the designs. She also suggested a group called Virginia Heroes Incorporated to help with funding. The first models of the statue were shown in December 1994.

Choosing the Location

In June 1995, the Richmond City Council approved placing the statue on Monument Avenue. This decision caused some disagreement. Both black and white people objected to putting Ashe's statue next to the Confederate generals. Some people suggested other places, like the formerly whites-only Byrd Park.

On July 17, the city council held a long meeting about the statue's location. After eight hours, they voted 7-0 to keep it on Monument Avenue. Several council members said that comments from Ashe's brother and wife helped them change their minds. The groundbreaking ceremony happened on August 15. About 500 people attended. Some people raised Confederate flags during the event.

Public Discussion

On January 1, 1996, Ashe's wife wrote a letter published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. She wrote that the monument honored Richmond more than it honored her husband. She believed her husband expected the monument to be in front of an African-American sports hall of fame.

A few days later, she reached an agreement with a group called Citizens for Excellence in Public Art. They agreed to help raise money for the hall of fame. The plan was to move DiPasquale's statue there once it was built. Then, a new design for Monument Avenue would be chosen through a competition. However, the Richmond City Council did not approve this plan.

The statue was made by DiPasquale in Waynesboro, Virginia. It was then brought to Richmond on a large truck. The statue was placed on its base on July 3, 1996. It was officially shown to the public on July 10.

Recent Events

On July 1, 2020, during the George Floyd protests, the mayor ordered all statues of Confederate generals on city property to be removed. As a result, the only statues left on Monument Avenue are the Arthur Ashe Monument and the Robert E. Lee statue, which was on state property.

On July 16, the base of the Arthur Ashe monument was spray-painted. Ashe's family gave the city permission to remove the statue if it was needed to protect it from more harm.

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