It looks as if Buffalo NY is close to joining a nation-wide movement to eradicate public monuments dedicated to those who have participated in the practices of enslavement (and genocide). A growing number of Buffalonians are now calling for the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue at Columbus Park along Porter Avenue. This is the same statue that was defaced earlier this year, as a sign of protest against racism. This same group is also calling for the renaming of the park. A proposal is being brought to the Common Council Legislation Committee on Tuesday, October 10.
The belief is that Columbus never discovered anything. He led to the colonization and eradication of vast numbers of native Americans who already lived in this hemisphere. Those people were systematically killed in horrific ways. Proponents of the statue being removed, and the name change, are also asking that the native American people in the region be consulted upon renaming the park. Some have even bandied about the idea of erecting a more appropriate statue that can be honored and respected by all communities.
To learn more, visit this petition site.
