Monuments and Public Resistance
Near my hometown of Manlius, New York lies the city of Syracuse. It is most known for Syracuse University, The Dome, and the Dinosaur Barbecue Restaurant. Those who know the area well recognize the names of different parts of the city, like Armory Square, Clinton Square, and Columbus Circle.
Over the summer, I attended a youth-organized Black Lives Matter march that took place in Syracuse. The march was amazingly successful, and though it was a “youth march,” over 800 citizens of Syracuse and the surrounding towns showed up to march down the streets and demand justice and reform. Before the physical march took place, the student leaders made an announcement that they were calling for the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in the middle of the circle; a major landmark in Syracuse. They explained how Columbus stands for imperialist, white supremacist values and ideals, and how we as a city and a society have progressed past the need to celebrate Columbus. As the youth leaders announced their demand, the crowd cheered in agreement. Now, almost 6 months later, the removal plan for the statue has been confirmed by Mayor Walsh.
While the citizens who called for the removal of the statue are content with this decision, the removal plan, which was announced in October, has sparked a lot of controversy in Syracuse, and has caused division among citizens and politicians alike. Syracuse is a fairly dominantly Italian city, and so the arguments against the removal of the statue have been fierce. According to Syracuse.com, citizens of Syracuse have claimed that the removal of the statue would be an erasure of their culture and heritage. They have also argued that they view Columbus less as a saint and more as an explorer, and do not condone his violent actions, but appreciate his discoveries as a part of their history. However, during this time of political unrest and calls for political and social reform, any idolization of colonialists is horribly out of place. It is disrespectful to the Indigenous people in our country to continue to celebrate a man who destroyed and stole their land.
The Columbus controversy is not unique to Syracuse. Across the nation, there have been calls for the removal of Columbus statues in most cities. Even Columbus Day has been unofficially renamed “Indigenous Peoples Day,” to show respect for the victims of Columbus’s violence and greed. This name change and general transition away from the idolization of Columbus (or the idea of Columbus as a savior) has signified a shift in respect, allowing our country to emphasize the importance of the Indigenous people in our country. This has led to a change in the way we view our history.
In elementary school, I knew the names of Columbus’s ships long before I knew about the Indigenous people in America. I had no reason to believe that Columbus was an evil man with bad intentions. He was portrayed as a savior and a father of our country. Now, I feel like the general feeling and reputation of Columbus has changed because of the changing tides of Civil Rights and the increased education on the realities of history.
Removing the statues of Columbus in Syracuse and other cities throughout the country does not change history, it changes how we perceive history today. Columbus’s actions do not change, but the way in which we remember them changes drastically. Instead of preserving the “perfect” history we learn about in elementary school, we have decided as a society that the hardships that Indigenous people have had to face in America are more important to our history. Indigenous people in America should not have to see a man who caused their ancestors immense violence immortalized in stone and celebrated every autumn. We shouldn’t fear this change as a country. By accepting our wrongdoings in the past, we can promote a better, more inclusive future for all citizens of America.
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