Lawmakers in New York City have voted to remove a statue of Thomas Jefferson from the entrance to City Hall Plaza after a unanimous vote on Monday. Jefferson, a founder of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the University of Virginia, is often called the father of the modern United States.
Following the passing of public safety and sex offender protections bills earlier this year, city officials announced they would also be removing a bronze statue of John Adams in the middle of the First Avenue pedestrian mall. The decision comes in the wake of a dramatic march of statue protests across the country — driven in part by transgender activist Leslie MacGuffie, who in July held a sit-in in front of the Louis Comfort Tiffany sculpture depicting Adams on a “chair of fortune” outside the building. The local protesters claimed the statues are symbols of systemic oppression against women and minorities.
No.2 Thomas Jefferson statue to be removed from entrance to City Hall Plaza. To be put in the library at School of American Studies. To be installed in Jefferson Museum. It will become part of a study of American history. pic.twitter.com/hbjseFyAf4 — Melissa Russo (@MelissaNYC) September 11, 2017
“Once the Jefferson statue is gone, there won’t be one of him at City Hall Plaza anymore,” City Councilman Corey Johnson, who led the committee that will vote on the issue, said after the vote. The statue will be taken to the library of the City University of New York’s Graduate Center and placed in the Jefferson Museum.
According to Johnson, the removal of the statues, both done with expedited conditions, “will prove to be a good lesson for our young people in the decades ahead.”
Read the full story at The New York Times.
Related
Surprising fact: Women in 20th century overcame obstacles to attain great heights, report says
With statues a ‘travesty,’ mayors ask if other cities should follow New York City’s lead
John Adams statue toppled outside Australia Parliament House