According to a new report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, 73 Confederate statues were removed or renamed over the course of 2021.

This removal of American history didn’t come out of nowhere. It was largely motivated by the surge in protests and riots that followed the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020. Monument removals have been taking place over the last few decades.

However, notable events like the death of Floyd, help accelerate this trend. Due to the media-driven perception that Floyd’s death had racist implications, a new campaign against Confederate monuments kicked off.