Chicago City Wire

Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer known for his voyages to the Americas, has long been honored in the United States. However, in recent years, there has been a growing movement to remove statues and monuments dedicated to Columbus, citing his controversial legacy. As a result, several Columbus statues in Illinois, including those in Chicago and Peoria, have been taken down and remain in storage.

The calls for the removal of Columbus statues gained momentum following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Protestors argued that Columbus was responsible for genocide and the exploitation of Native Americans and indigenous peoples. In response to the civil unrest and violence, Mayor Lori Lightfoot made the decision to remove the statues in Grant Park and Arrigo Park in Chicago, citing public safety concerns.

"The statues at Grant Park and Arrigo Park were removed due to public safety concerns," Mayor Lightfoot stated. "We could not allow the violence and protests to continue indefinitely."

In addition to the statues in Chicago, a third statue located at Drake Fountain in south Chicago was also removed several days later. All of these statues remain in storage to this day.

The statue in Bradley Park in Peoria met a similar fate. Following town hall meetings and a vote by the Peoria Park District Board, the statue was taken down in October 2020 and placed into storage. Discussions have since taken place about erecting a new statue in the park to replace the Columbus statue. The West Bluff Council and Uplands Neighborhood Association proposed a statue of Hebe, a minor Greek goddess of youth. However, this request was unanimously denied by the Park Board, citing cost concerns and a desire to avoid controversy.

"The decision to not erect a statue of Hebe was made to prevent another controversy like the one surrounding the Columbus statue," said a Park Board member.

Last year, a task force in Chicago recommended that the Columbus statues remain down, along with the removal of other controversial monuments. This decision received backlash from the local Italian American community, who urged Mayor Lightfoot to restore the landmarks to their original locations.

Despite the ongoing debates and the removal of Columbus statues, the state of Illinois continues to celebrate Columbus Day as a state holiday. The persistence of this holiday highlights the tensions between those who view Columbus as a symbol of exploration and those who see him as a symbol of oppression.

As the statues of Columbus remain in storage, their fate remains uncertain. The controversy surrounding Columbus and his legacy continues to shape discussions about how history should be remembered and commemorated.

To find out more, go to this link: https://repstephens.com/2023/10/11/columbus-statues-remain-in-storage/