Why are statues being taken down?

Statues are being removed globally, particularly following 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, because they often honor figures associated with slavery, colonialism, and systemic racism. Activists argue these monuments glorify oppressors, and their removal aims to create more inclusive public spaces that better reflect modern values.

Why are people taking down statues?

When people no longer want to memorialize what the statue represents, they may act to take it down. It doesn't deny the past, but it does bring an end to memorializing what no longer is honored in society. People change, they want change, and the act of tearing down statues is an act to symbolize the change.

What statues have been removed in the UK?

They include a statue in the Guildhall of Sir John Cass and William Beckford – both had significant links to the slave trade – announced last week by the City of London, the kneeling black man sundial at Dunham Massey Hall and a statue of the colonial governor Thomas Picton, which is in the process of being removed ...

What happened to the people who pulled Colston's statue down?

The four people charged with criminal damage for pulling down Edward Colston's statue in Bristol—Rhian Graham, Milo Ponsford, Sage Willoughby, and Jake Skuse—were found not guilty by a jury in January 2022, a verdict upheld by the Court of Appeal, which clarified the law but didn't overturn the acquittals. They argued the statue of the slave trader was a hate crime, and their actions were justified given the long history of public protest against it, with some accepting lesser cautions for related offenses.

Why are Columbus statues being removed?

Since the 1990s, public demand for the removal of the Columbus Monument pitted Italian Americans against Indigenous groups and others who associate the explorer with imperial conquest and racialized violence.

Why Statues Are Being Torn Down By The Black Lives Matter Movement

Why are they removing the James Brown statue?

Downtown Augusta's James Brown statue was recently removed due to planned construction on Broad Street.

What is the controversy with the Columbus Circle statue?

But many consider monuments honoring Columbus to be reminders of the genocide, rape, and dispossession of Native Americans and the onset of the transatlantic slave trade. These New York initiatives happen as Columbus statutes across the country are being torn down, defaced, and beheaded.

Who are the Colston four?

On 9 December 2020, four people—Rhian Graham, Milo Ponsford, Jake Skuse and Sage Willoughby, often referred to as the "Colston 4"—were charged with causing criminal damage in relation to the toppling of the statue. They appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court on 2 March 2021 and entered a plea of not guilty.

What is the connection between Colston and schools?

In 1710 Edward Colston founded Colston's Hospital, which was originally an all-boys boarding school for '100 poor boys' located in the centre of Bristol.

Where is the Colston statue now?

The statue of slave trader Edward Colston was displayed at M Shed from June 2021 to January 2022 as part of the Colston Statue: What next? exhibition. The statue is now on permanent display in M Shed's Bristol People gallery as part of a display about the history of protest in Bristol. Find out more about the display.

Why is the Robert E. Lee statue being removed?

On June 4, 2020, Virginia governor Ralph Northam announced that the Richmond statue would be removed in response to the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd.

Why is there a 12 foot statue of a black woman in Times Square?

The 12-foot statue of a Black woman in Times Square, titled "Grounded in the Stars" by artist Thomas J. Price, was placed to challenge traditional monuments and notions of identity, representing an ordinary person to encourage reflection on diversity and Black women's presence in public spaces, contrasting with historic male figures and sparking debate about representation and societal views. 

How many statues have been removed since 2020?

Since 2020, more than 300 Confederate monuments have been removed, including those along Richmond's Monument Avenue. But efforts to confront the legacy of the Confederacy face renewed resistance. Historians say the work of truth-telling and reconciliation continues.

How many Christopher Columbus statues have been removed?

At least 40 monuments to Columbus have been removed since 2018, according to a Washington Post and MIT analysis of crowdsourced data and local news reports. But those removals, the majority of which happened in 2020 and 2021, represent only a fraction of the more than 130 that still remain.

Can you still fly the Confederate flag?

Confederate Flags

Other courts, however, have allowed the display of the confederate flag atop state buildings. Thus, while someone has the freedom to fly the confederate flag on his or her property, there is a possibility that—while not per se illegal—the government will restrict this display in a public place.

Should we tear down the monuments?

The history of the United States is multilayered, complicated, and ever-evolving. Those who disagree with the beliefs upheld by the statues should work to understand the history these monuments represent, rather than try to simply remove them and the history from sight.

What did Edward Colston do that was good?

Despite his involvement in this abhorrent trade, Colston was widely celebrated for endowing significant sums of money to local schools, hospitals, alms-houses and churches. His statue was erected by the Victorians in 1895 to commemorate his philanthropy and his name still features on many city landmarks.

Which president had 600 slaves?

Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President and author of the Declaration of Independence, enslaved over 600 people during his lifetime, the most of any American president, with many working at his Monticello estate and even in the White House. Despite professing ideals of liberty, Jefferson's vast wealth and lifestyle depended on slave labor, though he freed only a handful of enslaved individuals before his death, with most sold to pay off his debts. 

Who stopped slavery in Britain?

In Parliament, the campaign was led by William Wilberforce. It was only after many failed attempts that, in 1807, the slave trade in the British Empire was abolished.

Why are there so many Jamaicans in Bristol?

'Windrush' is a term used to describe the mass migration of people invited from the Caribbean colonies into Great Britain, just after the Second World War. An ex-Nazi troopship renamed the Empire Windrush brought this first wave of Caribbeans in June 1948.

What cities in the UK were built on slavery?

Like London, other places across the UK are linked to the transatlantic slave trade. Although London and Bristol were initially Britain's key slave trading ports, by 1740 Liverpool began to dominate in this area. These prints are from 1728 and 1836 and show the development of Liverpool's docks.

What is the new name for Colston School?

From the start of the new academic year Colston School will be known as Collegiate School, Bristol. A consultation on the future of its name began in July in response to the toppling of the Edward Colston statue.

Why is Charles La Trobe's statue upside down?

The statue commemorates Lieutenant Governor Charles Joseph La Trobe. Melbourne sculptor Charles Robb turned the statue on his head, and says it embodies the notion that universities should turn ideas on their heads.

Why did they remove the James Brown statue?

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Downtown Augusta's James Brown statue was removed Thursday morning so work can begin on transforming the Broad Street median into the James Brown Linear Park. The statue will placed in safekeeping while work is done on the park, where the statue will later be a centerpiece.

What is the controversy over Columbus?

There are three main sources of controversy involving his interactions with the Indigenous people he labeled “Indians”: the use of violence and slavery, the forced conversion of native peoples to Christianity and the introduction of a host of new diseases that would have dramatic long-term effects on native people in ...