Many local government officials are now weighing whether to keep Confederate memorials in their cities and towns. This come after white nationalists marched last weekend to protest the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, which left one woman killed and caused violence amongst demonstrators.

More than 150 years after the Civil War ended, the Confederacy is memorialized with statues and monuments across the United States. Some say they mark history while others argue they are racist symbols of America’s dark past.

Protestors in Durham, North Carolina took in their own hands to remove a Confederate statue located outside of the courthouse. This protest was held in response to the Charlottesville violence.

After what happened in Charlottesville many states are now considering removing statues and monuments to avoid violence. Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, Texas are all considering removing Confederate memorabilia located in city parks.

Florida, Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama are also considering removing Confederate monuments. State law in Alabama prohibits the removal of statues but not covering it up. Birmingham Mayor William Bell has ordered for a plastic drape and a plywood structure to cover the Confederate monument at Linn Park.

“This country should in no way tolerate the hatred that the KKK, neo-Nazis, fascists and other hate groups spew,” he said. “The God I know doesn’t out one race over another.”

Some states are not so forward when it comes to removing Confederate monuments. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said he will not remove any Confederate monuments or memorials and will instead leave that decision up to the public. This says a lot seeing as Arizona did not become a state until almost 50 years after the civil war.

Hopefully, states like Arizona will join the bandwagon and remove their Confederate monuments. America is supposed to be a melting pot and in order for that to come true, we must remove hateful memorabilia. Every American should feel welcomed in their country, this will not happen until we denounce hate speech, messages, and violence based on the color of someone’s skin.