Monument honoring abolition of slavery unveiled in Richmond, Virginia, weeks after removing Robert E. Lee statue

A monument dedicated to the abolition of slavery was unveiled in Richmond, Virginia, on Wednesday, two weeks after a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee was taken down 2 miles away.

The Emancipation and Freedom Monument portrays two 12-foot bronze statues of a man, a woman and an infant after being freed from slavery. The woman is holding the child and a piece of paper with the January 1, 1863, date — the day when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The man is shown having whip scars and appears to be breaking free from shackles.

The monument on Brown's Island also honors the contributions of 10 Black Virginians who fought for freedom before and after emancipation.