A Christopher Columbus at the center of a tumultuous 2020 protest recently found a new home in a New York City suburb – and this time, it’s embraced by some of the locals.
“We’re all very proud of Christopher Columbus, and we’re here to preserve the history of Christopher Columbus finding and discovering America,” Paul Borghese of the Order of the Sons of Italy Lodge No. 2176, told [mainstream news source].
Michael Pizzi, another member of the order, told the outlet that the figure “represents Italian heritage and culture and everything that we’re proud of.”
The 8-foot tall bronze likeness of the historically significant Italian explorer was formerly housed at the entrance of Byrd Park in Richmond, Virginia, until being uprooted by protesters in light of George Floyd’s 2020 death, according to reports.
In images from the tumultuous summer, protesters are seen marching near the statue, holding signs that called for removal of imagery that recognizes colonizers to pay respect to indigenous communities.
Other reports and images show the statue on the ground after being pulled down from its pedestal with ropes, defaced with spray paint and lit on fire.
The protesters then dragged the statue to a nearby pond and submerged it in water.
The nearly 100-year-old homage to Columbus was later retrieved and restored before eventually being shipped to its new home in the Empire State.
It’s now housed at the Rockland Sons of Italy Lodge in the hamlet of Blauvelt, located approximately 20 miles northwest of New York City.
But, while some are happy to see the statue housed in its new location, others argue honoring Columbus is unethical or even pointless.
Cliff Mathias, cultural director of the Red Hawk Native American Arts Council, told [mainstream news source] that “Columbus never discovered America,” elaborating by saying he never stepped foot on the continent of what is now considered the United States.
“By no means is Columbus someone that this country should celebrate,” Mathias continued, adding, “If you go to Italy… most of them don’t give a hoot about Columbus. He’s not celebrated in Italy at all.”
Found on Mainstream Media