"Breaking Every Chain" w/Reverend Robert W. Lee, IV (Descendant of Confederate General Robert Lee)

This week the Army base Fort Lee, located in Central Virginia will be renamed to Fort Gregg-Adams. The fort was originally named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee in 1917 and is located on historic grounds where European settlers first met the Powhatan Confederation in 1607 and where Captain John Smith set up some of the first plantations along the James River. Located only thirty minutes from the capitol of the Confederacy, Fort Lee is one of many military installations trying to write the wrongs of the past and bring in a new era in America that no longer celebrates those who took up arms against America.

Some Army bases, established in the build-up and during World War I, were named for Confederate officers in an effort to court support from local populations in the South. That the men for whom the bases were named had taken up arms against the government they had sworn to defend was seen by some as a sign of reconciliation between the North and South. It was also the height of the Jim Crow Laws in the South, so there was no consideration for the feelings of African Americans who had to serve at bases named after men who fought to defend slavery.

This week we have a thought-provoking interview with Reverend Robert W. Lee, the the collateral descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. In this episode, Reverend Lee shares his personal journey of grappling with his family's complicated legacy and the role it played in America's history. As an author, activist, and public theologian, he discusses how he came to terms with his relationship to Robert E. Lee, how his activism has been received by his family and the wider community, and his thoughts on how we can move forward as a society and reconcile with our past. This interview is a must-listen for anyone interested in issues of racial justice, reconciliation, and the legacy of the Civil War.

Guest Bio:

The Reverend Robert Wright Lee, IV (Rob) is an author, activist, commentator, and preacher. His work has been covered by MTV, the View, The New Yorker, CNN, the New York Times, NPR, and countless others. That may sound like a mouthful, so Rob is often found just telling stories with friends in his hometown. Speaking of that, Lee is a native of Statesville, North Carolina and graduate of Duke University Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. He received his Master of Theological Studies in May of 2017 with a focus in practical theology and homiletics His thesis was on the corpus work of Bishop Will Willimon. He was an endowed scholar while at Duke University. Lee completed his undergraduate work in Religious Studies and Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University where he met his wife, Stephanie. Though he flies to New York, Boston, Chicago, and all kinds of other places—the red clay of the Piedmont of North Carolina is in his bones. He is currently pursuing doctoral work through the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California.

Visit his website