Contesting the master narrative: The Arthur Ashe statue and monument avenue in Richmond, Virginia

Located at the heart of what was once the capital of the Confederate States of America, Monument Avenue is 'Virginia's place to be recognized by Virginians'. For over a century the Richmond street's commemorative art paid homage to those labelled 'heroes' of the Confederacy, normalising and sanctioning a white, masculine, martial dominance that became increasingly incongruous with the city's demographics. In 1996, the hotly contested addition of a statue of native Richmonder Arthur Ashe, an African American tennis champion, challenged the avenue's master narrative. This project addresses the micro-geographies involved in the debate over where and how to site the Ashe statue and its perceived effects on Richmond's commodifiable sense of self.