Christopher Columbus statue
If there is a statue in Philly that want gone it is the Christopher Columbus statue in Fairmount Park. During the Petitions to remove the statue from its public display in South Philly near Broad Street and Oregon Avenue date as far back as 2015, but it was the racial justice protests in 2020 that spurred action. As 2021 comes to a close, the statue of Christopher Columbus remains standing in Marconi Plaza. And as it has for the past year and a half, it remains entirely enclosed in a wooden box.
The Christopher Columbus Monument was originally erected on the Centennial Exposition grounds at the intersection of Fountain and Belmont Avenues, near the Conservatory and dedicated on October 13, 1876. It made of marble ten feet in height and the pedestal twelve feet. The base is seven feet long by six feet in width, and the weight is about thirty-five tons. The figure represents Columbus, in the costume of his age and clime, standing on a ship's deck, near his feet being an anchor, coils of rope, and a sailor s dunnage-bag ; his right hand resting on a globe, fifteen inches in diameter, with the New World outlined on the front face, and supported by a hexagonal column.
Who Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, part of present-day Italy. In the mid 15th century, Portugal was desperately trying to find a faster trade route to Asia. However, Europeans often had to travel through the Middle East to reach Asia. At this time, Muslim nations imposed high taxes on European travels crossing through. This made it both difficult and expensive to reach Asia. There were rumors from other sailors that Asia could be reached by sailing west. Christopher Columbus decided to try and make this revolutionary journey himself. First, he needed ships and supplies, which required money that he did not have. He went to King John of Portugal who turned him down. He then went to the rulers of England, and France. Each declined his request for funding. After seven years of trying, he was finally sponsored by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Columbus’ voyage departed in August of 1492 with 87 men sailing on three ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María. He gave the first island he landed on the name San Salvador, although the native population called it Guanahani.4 Columbus believed that he was in Asia, but was actually in the Caribbean. He even proposed that the island of Cuba was a part of China. Since he thought he was in the Indies, he called the native people “Indians.”
2020
Many Americans, especially Italian Americans view Christopher Columbus as a hero, and a pioneer of what we now know as America today, but to the minorities of America, he is viewed as a man who has committed genocide against the Native Americans, who were here first on this land. Since 2015 people have been protesting to have the Columbus statue taken down and then when 2020 rolled brown after the murder of George Floyd protesters took it upon themselves to act and take down statues that were representative of colonizers or confederates soldiers or leaders. Well, many other Christopher Columbus statues were taken down during this time by protesters. The one that was highly protected was the Christopher Columbus monument in Philadelphia. Men armed with machine guns, automatic weapons and other handheld weapons stood and protected the statue. They viewed Christopher Columbus as a hero and national pride, and are willing to protect the statue, ignore the controversial history and genocide he had caused.
Not the first time
The statue is not the first of its kind in Philadelphia. There’s also another Christopher Columbus monument at Penns Landing. The 106 Feet steel structure was built to commemorate Columbus‘s 500th anniversary of him sailing to America. It has also been heavily protested since the very start all the way back in 1992 when the statue was made and dedicated. Also in 2022 a chalkboard was placed in front of this monument with a statement saying what are your hopes for the future of Philadelphia encouraging people to write positive messages while also using this as a way to make a reason to have this Christopher Columbus monument removed. Unfortunately, the chalkboard was eventually removed, but the statue still stands.
Native Americans Representation
There are not many monuments or statues in Philadelphia representing the Lenape people who were the original habitats of the region. In those statues that do exist of the Lenape, they are inaccurate and stereotypical. An example of these inaccuracies is the “Tedyuscung” statue in Wissahickon Valley. The clothes that adore the statue is a western Plains headdress rather than a traditional clothing that was worn by the Lenape people; another example is the “Medicine Man” in Fairmont Park. These statues do an injustice for a group of people who suffered at the hands of colonizers. The statues feel almost forgotten, left in places, surrounded by nature. It is a fair contribution to people who need to be seen more than ever.
Long- Legal Battle
Former mayor Jim Kenney's administration started the process of trying to remove the Christopher Columbus monument within a couple months. The effort of the removal had been approved by the city review boards but residents of the areas did not approve of the removal so a lawyer by the name of George Bochetto stepped in to essentially “save” the statue. Bochetto argued that the 145-year-old statue should stay because it is a symbol of pride and a remembrance of the pain and suffering that Italian Americans went through when they arrived in this country. Around that same time in 2020 right before celebrating indigenous people day the box that was covering and protecting the Christopher Columbus statue had been taken down a local judge ruled that there was no good reason to keep the statue in a box and had suggested glass to cover it so people could still see it. This request was approved by the PA Supreme Court. Almost 2 years of a back-and-forth court battle for the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue, and it never went through this that still stands today surrounded by a gate that bears the three ships that Christopher Columbus took to the Americas. Even today, the statue is still resented by many people who think the statue should be taken down.
