What is your view of the value or inappropriateness of such statues and symbols

I’m working on a philosophy writing question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

Recently, there has been intense disagreement about the place/removal of historical statues and symbols that have any perceived connection to slavery in the U.S.  What is your view of the value or inappropriateness of such statues and symbols?  At what cost do we “sanitize” history by the wholesale removal of anything associated with slavery?  Is there a “middle ground” that would acknowledge our history (good and bad) and, at the same time, demonstrate the repugnance of the institution of human slavery?  Along side this, consider that many estimate that there are over 40 million people held captive in various forms of modern-day slavery.  Where should society’s focus be – on the past or the present?

Please refer below books if possible.

The Fundamentals of Ethics, Fifth edition, Russ Shafer-Landau, 2021, Oxford University Press,
ISBN 978019058319. (The 2018, Fourth edition is also acceptable for use in this
class. Editions early than the Fourth may not have all the material for the class.)
Contemporary Moral Issues: Diversity and Consensus, Fourth edition, Lawrence M. Hinman,
2013, Pearson Education, Inc., ISBN: 9780205633609