On Thursday night, the Community Board 7 Preservation Committee reviewed an application put forth by the American Museum of Natural History regarding the removal and relocation of the Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt.
Sam Biederman, the chief of staff and assistant commissioner for community outreach and partnership development at the Parks Department, opened the presentation to the board with an overview and history of the statue.
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It was noted that in the summer of 2020, with the support of the Roosevelt family, Mayor de Blasio directed the removal and relocation of the statue due to the visuals and thematic framework of colonization and racism. This would soon lead to protests against the removal of the statue.
A representative from the museum, Daniel Slippen, stated that the statue was inherently racist and undermines the mission of the museum. He noted multiple examples over the course of recent decades where the statue sustained public controversy. He noted that the statue is only one part of the memorial to President Roosevelt, and the Roosevelt family has also asked that this statue be removed.
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“Symbols of systemic racism became even more evident in the wake of the movement for racial justice that emerged after the murder of George Floyd. It become clear that removing this statue would be a symbol of progress toward an inclusive and equitable community,” Slippen said.
Rolondo Kraeher is the architect who presented plans to replace the statue. The entire statue is slated to be removed, and another statue would not replace it. Instead, there would be more stairs and text engraved on the ground. Kraeher said that the design was meant to create a message of openness and availability.
CB7 board member Bill Higgins gave an overview on the thinking behind the proposal and how to frame the question of appropriateness. “This portrayal clearly raises themes of racial superiority and inferiority imperialism, and so many other themes and characteristics associated with that. These have been problematic from the beginning. But, as the decades [went on] they had become intensely more problematic. Especially now, these are really tumultuous times,” Higgins said.
There was also a long discussion about the possibility of moving parts of the statue and leaving Roosevelt on his horse. The city and museum representatives said no, and that the entire statue would be removed in its entirety.
One long time board member said “I went to the museum when I was a child, and I brought my children there and I brought my grandchildren there. I’ve always had a problem with the statue of Teddy. I think he was a great president, but I have always had a problem with the Indian on one side and the African American on the other side.”
The committee voted to approve a resolution to remove the statue and approved the presented designs for the existing plaza. The next step in the process is to bring the presentation to CB7’s next full board meeting. Other city agencies including the Public Design Commission, and the Landmarks Preservation Committee, will also need to sign off on the removal and changes before any action can take place.
Absolutely pathetic. Erasing history does nothing to stop racism. Quite the opposite…. everyone should focus instead on all the achievements, accomplishments and positive changes that have been made since the civil war and the freedom of slaves.
I agree with Latitia, this is pathetic. If we start to remove artwork because someone, anyone, is offended, we will have no art left.
So, I am offended by churches and the symbol of torture (the cross) that is displayed at every one of them. Further, religious zealots are at the core of most of our problems. Let’s get rid of ALL churches.
you are quite ignorant, first of all, religious people are not the cause of problems, the denial of the existence of God is what causes trouble, America is sinful to the core, and if you cant see that than you are the problem, we are receiving stolen property by living in America yet it is called a “felony” , also it was the museums choice to remove it, you people act like the property is yours but it belongs to the museum, and the museum decided to take it down, they were not forced. yall make these things way to intense, I’m looking at the people here and you all are the same,
I think you should do some research on religions. A lot of religions have caused wars. Certain religions(almost all religions) have caused more harm than good in certain points in time, and it’s really disappointing because it should be the opposite.
Spineless Cowards! Are they going to rename Theodore Roosevelt Park and Roosevelt Island, too?!! The statue can’t be in front of the museum but can be placed somewhere else?? Who makes these asinine decisions?
“Are they going to rename Theodore Roosevelt Park and Roosevelt Island, too?!!”
No.
It all has to just stop, any good that has come out of the last few years is going to be wiped out bc of stupid crap like this…its history, can’t change it, the statue should stand for a reminder that you need to learn from it, not forget it existed…
Did TR not have a significant part in founding the museum?
For that matter, did the anti-Japanese xenophobe governor of California not go on to be chief justice of the US Supreme Court? How did his (Warren’s) court rule again in Brown versus the Board of Education?
From the article:
“CB7 board member Bill Higgins gave an overview on the thinking behind the proposal and how to frame the question of appropriateness. “This portrayal clearly raises themes of racial superiority and inferiority imperialism, and so many other themes and characteristics associated with that. These have been problematic from the beginning.”
So instead of concentrating on the actual racist history of TR, which no one disputes (need some examples look into the conquest of PR, and the Philippines+Hawaii after and during the Spanish-American war), Higgins objects to a statue where the white guy is on a horse and the non-white people represented are walking, but are NOT in chains, not being gunned down, not being trampled by the horse, etc. One could even see those walking as guides to the out of touch guy on a horse.
The museum can start by removing David Koch’s name from the dinosaur hall. Daddy Koch built oil refineries for the Nazis, and the “libertarianism” of Charles and David has direct, now well hidden in the 1970s by Charles, ties to Nazis, neo-Nazis, and both Holocaust deniers and promoters.
I don’t understand these people who are offended that the statue depicts Roosevelt on horseback, flanked by a Native American figure and an African figure on foot. If the statue didn’t include the two other figures with Roosevelt and instead only had white soldiers at his side, they would be saying the statue was racist because it had no persons of color included! These people are pathetic. Can/t they accept the history of this country instead of trying to change everything so that it is “politically correct”. Why not consider being historically correct?
why not consider thinking, i am going to assume you are white, its quite obvious from the way you talk about the attention on their race, it would not be the same with white people because America is not racist against them, you fail to see how deep racism goes in America and it causes you to be mad at things like this, you just do not understand, and also, don’t tell me what I would be saying because you had no idea, if it had not colored people in it then it cannot depict them as lesser than white people because it does not depict them at all, so where are you coming from, before you say its pathetic to be insulted by these things, why don’t you look up shocking things that America has down and try to cram them into your one braincell
Maybe they can put up a new statue of George Floyd smoking crack as a replacement? Lol.
i can see this comment section is filled with fox news watching, social media password knowin, ignorant spoiled americans
And Woketards who hate America BOB.