NYC Removes and Replaces Controversial Statues
NYC Council members successfully lobbied for the removal of a Theodore Roosevelt statue, as well as the installation of a statue of women’s rights pioneers in Central Park.
Photos courtesy of WIkimedia Commons
Following the murder of George Floyd this spring and the resulting protests that swept New York City, many city residents are calling for the removal of statues depicting controversial historical figures with renewed energy. While strides have been made to remove some statues, advocates are demanding that more be taken down, and some are turning their attention to street and public school names that memorialize problematic figures. Riverdale, however, is no stranger to reckoning with a racist legacy.
The issue with statues first reached national consciousness in 2017 when white nationalists marched in Charlottesville to oppose the removal of a monument depicting Confederate general Robert E. Lee. While the resulting controversy caused people across the United States to rethink their monuments, the movement gained the most traction in New York City in recent months and it moved beyond just Confederate figures.
This June, a coalition of five NYC councilmembers sent a letter to Mayor Bill De Blasio demanding the removal of a statue of Thomas Jefferson that sits outside City Hall. The politicians cited Jefferson’s legacy as a slaveholder alongside other racist beliefs. “The City Council Chambers is a place where we vote on bills to improve the lives of all New Yorkers and build a more fair and just city. It is not a suitable place for a statue of Thomas Jefferson. Keeping it in City Hall sends a terrible message to the people who are counting on us to work towards a more equitable New York City,” the councilmembers argued. Meanwhile, advocates are currently calling for the statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus Circle to be removed as well. However, Governor Andrew Cuomo defended its place and significance to the Italian-American community, where Columbus has historically been seen as an important figure. Statues of Christopher Columbus in Astoria, Central Park and Columbus Circle receive 24/7 NYPD protection and are guarded by police barricades to protect against vandalization.
Supporters of removing controversial statues saw success this past June when The American Museum of Natural History decided to remove its statue of Theodore Roosevelt. It made this decision because of the statue’s racist “hierarchical composition,” according to Ellen Futter, the museum’s president, and not the subject’s controversial history. The statue in question, displayed prominently by the museum’s entrance, depicts Roosevelt on horseback elevated above an African man and an indigenous man. Mayor Bill De Blasio issued a statement supporting the removal, while former US President Donald Trump criticized it on Twitter. While the museum assures it will continue to honor Roosevelt’s legacy through parks and other public fixtures, some decry Roosevelt as a racist and an imperialist, and demand more changes.
These discussions to remove statues of problematic figures bear notable similarities to a decision Riverdale made a couple decades ago. After growing fervor about the “Indian Issue” and an SFC poll showing the majority of students favored the switch, Riverdale decided to change its mascot from the Indian in 1989. Like The American Museum of Natural History, Riverdale recognized that their mascot perpetuated harmful stereotypes and made a change. Now cheers of “Go Falcons!” and the Falcon mascot’s cameo around homecoming are commonplace at school.
While many controversial monuments remain, the city has made an effort to erect more statues of women and people of color. For example, visitors to Central Park can visit the new Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument depicting Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Santon working at a table together, which debuted this August. As society continues to reckon with who it wants to celebrate and who it would rather denounce, it will be interesting to see how many more changes NYC makes. Where will society draw the line? What acts will be seen as easy to write off and which will be inexcusable? Only time will tell.
