The National Park Service (NPS) will restore and reinstall a bronze statue of a Confederate general that was toppled and burned during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, DC. The NPS said it will repair the effigy of Albert Pike in compliance with two executive orders issued by Donald Trump directing federal agencies to reinstate historic monuments and memorials that have been dismantled or altered in recent years. Originally from Massachusetts, Albert Pike sided with the South when the Civil War began, negotiating with Native American tribes that enslaved Black people to fight for the Confederate Army. In March 1862, while serving as brigadier general, his troops were accused of “scalping and defiling the bodies” of Union troops, forcing his resignation. He was later imprisoned and charged with misappropriating funds. In 1865, Pike was granted amnesty by President Andrew Johnson and reportedly became involved with the Ku Klux Klan. To read the full story by mayaponto...