Robert W. Lee IV is a North Carolina minister and descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Robert W. Lee IV has made it his mission to counter the racist and problematic legacy of his ancestor by writing and speaking openly about the continued effects of racism in the U.S.
Recently that mission took him to the stage of the MTV Video Music Awards where he preached about “God's call to confront racism and white supremacy head-on.” But some congregants of Winston-Salem’s Bethany United Church of Christ where he worked as a pastor did not appreciate his use of the MTV pulpit. Lee faced a wave of backlash and eventually decided to leave that church.
Host Frank Stasio speaks with Lee about the experience and his plans for fighting racial inequality moving forward.
