Just like many statues, this has its pros and cons. But sometimes the cons weight more than the pros do. So than the question comes to be, what should we do about it and if we should even do anything. Is it worth erasing what many like to call history or should we embrace the story that was given to us.
The Statue was created in 1893, standing tall at 6.6 feet high and 4.5 feet wide. It was created to be a “heroic” size. The statue showed Columbus to be in mid stride, with his left foot stepping off the base. He has his left hand holding a globe, right arm is raised and he is pointing with his index finger. Columbus is wearing a short tunic with a belt that wraps his waist, has a second belt across the hip holding a sword. There is a cloak around the statue and a coil at the figures feet. Finally the words “Columbus”, “1492”, and “1893” are engraved around the square base of the statue where he stands.
Biography/Background on Columbus and the builder The statue above memorializes Christopher Columbus. Born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy and died on May 20, 1506 in Valladolid, Spain. He was an Italian explorer who sailed to westward to the New World in 1492. Columbus became one of the most important figures in western civilization. He changed the the thrust of European expansion for the next 500 years. The artist was Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, born in 1834 in Colmar, France. He is also well known for building the Statue of Liberty. The Columbus statue was created for the 1893 Columbian Exposition of the World's Fair that was being held in Chicago, Illinois. However, that was not the statues final destination. It was later brought to Providence Rhode Island in late 1893.
What did people think?
During 1893 the statue was very famous and very loved even before it was even seen. It was said that the Columbian Exposition of the World’s Fair that was being held in Chicago was packed, there would be lines waiting to see the statue. A news article from November 6 1893 used words like masterpiece and heroic; symbolizing how much the the statue was cared/ loved for. In other words the statue was memorialized way before it was seen.
Controversy of the Statue
Before its removal activists believed that the statue ignores rape, murder, and genocide of indigenous people during the European settlement of North America in the 1400s. It was removed in 2020 during the riots and during the time that other statues specifically Columbus statues were also getting removed for the same reason. However, this removal was not easy. Many people were not happy about its removal because it was Italian history but others disagreed. Columbus was not the first and only European to do wrong in North America but he is praised for the good things he did and not for the bad things, so why shouldn’t he not be recognized for the wrong doings that he did? The statue unlike many others was not destroyed but graffitied all over. The statue was taken down and placed in storage, were later it was bought by former Providence Mayor Joseph Paolino Jr for$50,000. Current major Joseph Polisena Jr. strongly believed that “people should learn about him, the good and the bad”
“It’s important and not just for Italian Americans. It’s American history. It’s world history, if you look at it from a historical perspective.”
Josesph Polisena Jr.
The Rebuilt
After the purchase that the former Major did he did not decided to bring back the statue until 3 years later. But why did he wait so long to bring the statue back? It is believed that he waited because there was a lot of riots during the year of 2020 but not only did the riots impact the the rebuilt but also the pandemic delayed the rebuilt. One thing lead to another and it was pushed back for another 3 years. On September 26, 2023 in Johnston, Rhode Island the statue was unveiled. The statue was now in Johnston Memorial Park after being in Columbus Square for many years in fear that is would get vandalized again. Many people were not happy with this decision, it went to the extend that the Black Lives Matter president in Rhode island stated ” it should not have been resurrected after it was taken down.” So the question comes to be why bring it back up? Many stated that is to celebrate Italian history, heritage and the culture. The current major stated that “it’s unfair to use the standards of today to measure the actions of someone who lived five centuries ago.” Which while this is true it does not change history and the things Columbus did. Many indigenous families are still suffering not because of what Columbus did over 5 centuries years ago but because of the beliefs that people have when they see the Columbus statue and its representation. We do not have to keep the Columbus statue to show / celebrate Italian heritage and culture, there are other ways. So the question still stands to be why keep Columbus and do the struggles that indigenous families went through not matter? Why not have an indigenous person representing history?
“If we had German pride that was synonymous with Hitler, everyone would be outraged. Yet somehow, this is normal.”
protster
Overall, There are many questions that not only I have but many also have. There are so many different ways to show history but it certainly does not have to be someone who was known for causing more harm than good to thousands of innocent people. But yet there are many that are willing to do anything to keep a statue.
References
•Cortada, James W. “Who Was Christopher Columbus?” Renaissance and Reformation / Renaissance et Réforme, vol. 10, no. 2, 1974, pp. 99–102. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43464886. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
•“Columbus Day Dispute: A Once-Removed Statue Reappears in Rhode Island.” The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2023, www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2023/1006/Columbus-Day-dispute-A-once-removed-statue-reappears-in-Rhode-Island. Accessed 01 May 2024.
•“Controversial Columbus Statue Unveiled in Johnston.” YouTube, 10 Oct. 2023, youtu.be/NdsSbgF_bAA. Accessed 01 May 2024.
•DaSilva, Melanie, et al. “Controversial Columbus Statue Unveiled in Johnston.” WPRI.Com, 10 Oct. 2023, www.wpri.com/news/local-news/northwest/controversial-columbus-statue-unveiled-in-johnston/#:~:text=The%20statue%20is%20officially%20put,the%20city%20earlier%20this%20year. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
•Humanities, National Endowment for the. “The Providence News. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, June 01, 1893, Image 3.” News about Chronicling America RSS, Heaton, Langtry & Co., 1 June 1893, chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn91070630/1893-06-01/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1893&index=3&rows=20&words=Columbus&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Rhode+Island&date2=1895&proxtext=columbus+&y=1&x=10&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
•Humanities, National Endowment for the. “The Providence News. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, November 06, 1893, Image 1.” News about Chronicling America RSS, Heaton, Langtry & Co., 6 Nov. 1893, chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn91070630/1893-11-06/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1893&index=11&rows=20&words=COLUMBUS+Columbus&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=Rhode+Island&date2=1895&proxtext=columbus+&y=1&x=10&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
