The descendant of a Confederate general whose statue sparked racial violence in Charlottesville last month left his position Monday as a pastor at a North Carolina church after he denounced his famous ancestor on national television.
Robert Lee IV, the great-great-great-great nephew of Confederate Army General Robert E Lee, said he decided to leave Bethany United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem because of the ‘deeply hurtful’ reaction from congregants who were upset over his remarks at the MTV Video Music Awards last week.
Lee was a special guest at the Los Angeles show. He gave a speech denouncing Robert E Lee, whom he has called ‘an idol of white supremacy, racism, and hate.’
He also introduced Susan Bro, the mother of Heather Heyer, the young anti-racism counter-protester who was mowed down by a suspected white supremacist in Charlottesville last month.
Robert Lee IV, the great-great-great-great nephew of Confederate Army General Robert E Lee, said he decided to leave Bethany United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem because of the ‘deeply hurtful’ reaction from congregants upset over his remarks at the Video Music Awards
Lee was a special guest at the Los Angeles show. He gave a speech denouncing Robert E Lee, whom he has called ‘an idol of white supremacy, racism, and hate.’ He also introduced Susan Bro, the mother of Heather Heyer, the young anti-racism counter-protester who was mowed down by a suspected white supremacist in Charlottesville last month
The white supremacist rally was originally intended as a protest against the city of Charlottesville’s plans to remove a statue of Lee, a hero to many in the South.
Robert Lee IV has publicly stated his support for the statue’s removal.
Bro was invited to the show to present an award for artists who promote co-existence. She used the occasion to urge the public to fight racism.
‘As a pastor, it is my moral duty to speak out against racism, America’s original sin,’ Lee told the crowd at the VMAs.
Lee has spoken out in support of the city of Charlottesville’s decision to remove a statue of Robert E Lee (above). The statue sparked protests from white nationalists last month in the Virginia city
‘Today, I call on all of us with privilege and power to answer God’s call to confront racism and white supremacy head-on.
‘We can find inspiration in the Black Lives Matter movement, the women who marched in the Women’s March in January, and, especially, Heather Heyer, who died fighting for her beliefs.’
Those remarks apparently generated a backlash among church members, particularly from those who were irked by his mention of support for Black Lives Matter.
‘I want to stress that there were many in the congregation who supported my right to free speech, yet were uncomfortable with the attention the church was receiving,’ Lee said in a statement.
‘The church’s reaction was deeply hurtful to me.’
According to Lee, when the church made it known that it intended to vote on his tenure, he submitted his resignation.
Upon resigning, Lee addressed the congregation, saying: ‘I regret that speaking out has caused concern and pain to my church.
Lee’s remarks at the VMAs apparently generated a backlash among church members, particularly from those who were irked by his mention of support for Black Lives Matter
‘For this is I offer my heartfelt apology. I understand that my views could be considered to be controversial.
‘I never sought this sort of attention. But, I do believe in God’s role in calling out for positive social change for the good of all.’
Lee said he did not wish to be a distraction ‘from the sacred work of confronting white supremacy in all its forms.’
‘My calling and my vocation has led me to speak out against violence and oppression in any form, and I want to especially challenge white Christians in America to take seriously the deadly legacy of slavery in our country and commit ourselves to follow Jesus into a time of deep reflection, repentance and reconciliation,’ he wrote.
Lee’s appointment to pastor at Bethany Church is his first since graduating from seminary.
The United Church of Christ is considered one of the more liberal movements within the Reformed and Lutheran faiths.
It has in the past urged the Washington Redskins football team to change its name so as to avoid offending Native Americans, according to The Washington Post.