A historic, classic statue of Christopher Columbus has been replaced with a more modernist take on art featuring famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
The new monument, situated in the heart of Newark, New Jersey, was unveiled on Thursday in the recently renamed Harriet Tubman Square. Up until the recent unrest stemming from the death of George Floyd, the park was actually known as Washington Park.
“In a time when so many cities are choosing to topple statutes that limit the scope of their people’s story, we have chosen to erect a monument that spurs us into our future story of exemplary strength and solidity,” Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said in a statement, via CNN.
Baraka’s reference to “statues that limit the scope of their people’s story” appears to be a fairly unsubtle shot at Columbus, who has been painted as something of a villain in recent years, over the alleged mistreatment of indigenous populations in America.
Of note, one particular criticism of Columbus in recent years has linked the famed explorer to the proliferation of slavery in the West.
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That last, racially charged critique of Columbus is at the heart of why his statue was originally removed in 2020 amid social justice protests following the death of George Floyd.
Despite his place in history, those connections between Columbus and racial grievances have all but rendered his numerous accomplishments moot.
Tubman, by contrast, clearly comes with none of those perceived concerns.
“We have created a focal point in the heart of our city that expresses our participation in an ongoing living history of a people who have grappled through many conflicts to steadily lead our nation in its progress toward racial equality,” Baraka’s statement said.
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Some on social media have expressed disgust that the classical statue of Columbus had been replaced with something decidedly less classical.
Columbus was usurped with an effigy of Tubman. Nina Cooke-John is the creative talent behind the Tubman statue and had…
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