A bronze statue, titled the Confederate Soldier is viewed in downtown Alexandria, Virginia, on August 14, 2017. He stands in the middle of the street, his back to the nation's capital as he gazes southwards towards the bloody battlefields of the Civil War. (Paul J. Richards/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

The horrific events in Charlottesville this month have given new urgency to the important discussion of public monuments to the Confederacy.

Virginians must address the impact that lionizing the Confederacy has had on the character and laws of our commonwealth. We must do so with an honest understanding of the history of oppression of Virginians of color — and what symbols of that history still mean today.

This includes determining how and where to move the Appomattox memorial at Washington and Prince streets in Old Town Alexandria.

The statue is owned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy but is on city land at the point where Alexandrians left to join the Confederate Army.

I agree with Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D): “Monuments should serve as unifiers, to inspire us collectively and to venerate our greatest citizens.” Appomattox does not meet that standard.

Alexandria has been precluded from removing or relocating the statue by state law, including an 1890 act that states : “That said monument shall perpetually remain as at present erected at the intersection of Prince and Washington streets, in the said city of Alexandria, and that the permission so given by the said city council of Alexandria, for its erection, shall not be repealed, revoked, altered, modified, or changed by any future council or other municipal power or authority.”

I will introduce legislation, in cooperation with the city of Alexandria, that would allow for the relocation of the statue. If successful, it would allow the city, presumably in consultation with the statue’s owner, to relocate the memorial to the grounds of Alexandria’s City History Museum or return it to the Daughters of the Confederacy.

It has become readily apparent what statues such as Appomattox mean to white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Alexandrians must also appreciate what a Confederate monument in the heart of Old Town means to many African Americans. That reality has underscored the need to push for legislative change.

Those who would argue against giving localities authority regarding the siting of monuments sometimes claim that to do so is an effort to “erase history.” Relocating or even removing statues does not erase the history of the Confederacy. It just ceases to publicly honor it.

The discussion of how or whether to deal with symbols honoring the Confederacy and its leaders, including Jefferson Davis, extends to more than monuments. Communities throughout Virginia are engaging in conversations regarding these public displays.

In recent years, I have focused on changing the name of Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1) in Alexandria and Arlington County. Since moving to Virginia in 1989, I have found it troubling that the gateway to our commonwealth is named for a non-Virginian who led a treasonous uprising against the United States.

At my request, Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) clarified Alexandria’s authority to name roads within its borders. Unfortunately, Arlington does not have the same authority to rename roads without state approval. The Alexandria City Council voted unanimously to begin the process of renaming Jefferson Davis Highway, and an advisory group has been convened to evaluate options. Suggestions may be submitted through Sept. 15. My preference is to rename Route 1 “Richmond Highway” as it is designated in Fairfax County, setting the stage for General Assembly consideration of continuing the name through the Arlington portion of Route 1.

I will work with the other members of the Arlington General Assembly delegation to ensure that a bill is introduced in the 2018 legislative session to allow for the renaming of Jefferson Davis Highway.

The writer, a Democrat, represents the 30th District in the Virginia Senate.