The City Council will consider a resolution proposed by two Democratic Alderpersons that would order removal of the statue of Christopher Columbus in New Britain.
Introduced by Ald. Chris Anderson (D-AL) and Ald. Colin Osborn (D-2), the resolution calls for the removal of the statue of Columbus on the corner of Main and North streets and replacing it with another symbol honoring Italian Americans in New Britain.
The resolution acknowledges that the statue of Columbus, “was erected in New Britain in 1941 as a symbol of the important contributions Italian Americans made in New Britain and across the country, in spite of the discrimination they faced at the time,” and goes on to say that,
it is important to honor and celebrate the heritage of Italian Americans while also being conscious of the meaning of symbols that have been defined by history through a legacy of oppression which has had a negative impact on other residents of our diverse community.
The resolution notes that.
Christopher Columbus also symbolizes a dark history of white supremacy and violence against the indigenous residents of the Americas, perpetuated by Columbus as well as other conquistadors, practices which persisted in the United States well beyond our nation’s founding, the impacts of which are still clear today.
If approved, the resolution would order that, “the City of New Britain will immediately remove the statue of Christopher Columbus from McCabe Park and donate it to a local Italian American organization.”
It goes on to say that, the city will work with the city’s Italian American community, “to find a symbol to honor the significant contributions of Italian Americans to our city that can be celebrated by the entire New Britain community.”
With nationwide protests against racism and inequality including a focus on bringing down symbols of racism and colonialism, renewed attention to accounts from a priest, Bartolome de las Casas, and others, telling about enslavement, murder, rape and other brutality upon native peoples under Columbus’ conquests have led to successful calls for statues of him being removed in some cities.
The New Britain Racial Justice Coalition, has been advocating for the city to remove the statue since July. The group held a protest against the statue in July and has been pressing for its removal since.
New Britain NAACP President Ronald P. Davis commented in July that,
Although Christopher Columbus is remembered as a ground-breaking explorer, we must remember his actions led to the transatlantic slave trade and the mass killing and exploitation of indigenous people. He is the cornerstone of ‘Institutional Racism’ in America.
“As a community, we cannot continue to praise a man who stole land and continually chose to dehumanize native people,” Davis said in his July comments, “Why should we have a statue, or a street dedicated to anyone who stands as a symbol for the violence?”
The question of removing the statue had been sent to the City Plan Commission for consideration. That Commission issued a report that, while saying that it, “is reticent to offer any opinion,” on removing the statue, opined that the Council has three options. One would include keeping the statue as is, which the Commission said, “may be interpreted,” as, “tacitly condoning,” Columbus’ history. The second would involve keeping the statue, but adding a plaque, “contextualizing the monument and giving a more expansive, and balanced account of Columbus’s history.” The third option would be removing the statue and relocating it to an, “Italian fraternal organization or similar place.”
At the same time protests were taking place against the Columbus statue this summer, the Board of Education voted to change the Columbus Day to Indigenous People Day in the school calendar, saying,
In this time of increased awareness and in alignment with district priorities that include using an equity lens and anti-racism in all aspects of our practice, it behooves the New Britain Board of Education and the CSDNB to acknowledge that Black, Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color (BBIPOC) still suffer from the ramifications of the colonial oppression that ensued at the hands of European explorers like Columbus.
“We have a responsibility,” says the new policy, “to reframe Euro-centric history by centering the experiences of the Indigenous Peoples in the United States and internationally – many of whom still struggle with income inequality, sovereignty, and equity in having their basic needs met in the health, education, and other sectors.”
The City Council resolution now under consideration to remove the Columbus statue is on the agenda of the November 12, 2020 Council meeting. The meeting begins with public participation at 7:00pm.
The agenda of that meeting says that,
Due to current public health concerns, this meeting will not be open to the public. Members of the public may view a live broadcast of the meeting online via the livestream link:
http://www.newbritainct.gov/meetings
Individuals seeking public participation may join the queue beginning at 6:45 pm by calling 1 (609) 663-5783.
