NYC could create a reparations task force and tear down statues of George Washington and Columbus
by Rachel Schilke, Breaking News Reporter
September 19, 2023 08:42 AM
The New York City Council is considering creating a reparations task force and removing statues of historical figures using the limited funds at its disposal as the council and much of the city's agencies face significant budget cuts.
One of the council's committees will meet on Tuesday to propose allocating resources toward removing artworks that "depict a person who owned enslaved persons or directly benefited economically from slavery, or who participated in systemic crimes against indigenous peoples or other crimes against humanity," per the council's agenda.
This removal process would affect several statues across the city, including ones of George Washington, New York governor and settler Peter Stuyvesant, and Christopher Columbus. However, if the Public Design Commission decided the statue or installation did not need to be removed, the Cultural Affairs Committee says the PDC should be required to place an "explanatory plaque" next to the work of art.
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