Have you ever taken the time to see Arthur Ashe‘s statue on Monument Avenue up close? I’ll bet not many people have seen it from as close as this image, taken today from the base of the monument.

There was plenty of controversy over this statue when it was proposed and after it was placed at Monument and Roseneath avenues back in Jully 1996. Questions like: Should it be on Monument Avenue with all the Confederate heroes? Should there be more design options? Is the base too big for the statue? Is he about to hit the kids with the books and the racquet?

Personally, I don’t think it is the best statue in Richmond. I’ve taken the time to look at many of the best, and Ashe’s statue is a few notches below. That’s no slight to Mr. Ashe, who was and still is a hero to so many people worldwide. The message in the statue is a good one, and true to his legacy. It is a shame that his “home” tennis courts at Battery Park have had such a bad time in the past year, but at least he’s kept a smile over on Monument Avenue.

Phil Riggan
DiscoverRichmond.com

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