What will become of the beheaded Christopher Columbus statue in the North End? Boston Arts Commission embarks on study

The Boston Arts Commission moved on Tuesday to continue studying the legacy of the Christopher Columbus statue in the North End, which was beheaded several months ago in the wake of the police-involved killing of George Floyd.

Specifically, the commission voted to initiate a process whereby commissioners will “study the future of the statue” with input from the public, and establish a group within the commission that will determine an appropriate review process.

“My hope is that we will hear from many people, and we will hear many voices,” Mark Pasnik, chairman of the Boston Arts Commission, said.

Celebrations of Columbus and his explorations of the New World have been called into question in recent years, amid increased scrutiny over his role in the genocide of Native Americans following the colonization of the Americas by Europeans, as well as his involvement in the international slave trade. Statues, in particular those of Columbus and other Confederate figures, have become flashpoints in the ongoing national conversation about systemic racism amid protests following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in May.

The statue in Boston was damaged several times in recent years. In 2015, the statue was doused in red paint with “Black Lives Matter” spray-painted onto its base. In 2006, the head of the statue was removed and remained missing for several days.

After the monument was defaced this year, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said officials will take time to discuss the “historic meaning of the statue.”

Dozens of residents weighed in on the debate on Tuesday over Zoom. Daniel Deluca, a former Massachusetts resident of Italian-American heritage, said the statue is not an appropriate symbol to honor Italian American heritage, citing the genocide of the indigenous Caribbean people.

“We know there are many many better ways to reflect on our heritage,” Deluca said, adding that public comment on the statue should continue so long as it prioritizes the voices of indigenous peoples.

Jean-Luc Pierite, a Jamaica Plain resident and member of the Tunica-Biloxi tribe of Louisiana, urged that commissioners advocate that representatives of indigenous communities be “integrated into the study process” to ensure not only that they are heard, but that they have a seat at the table.

Others urged that the statue stay, noting that it serves as an anchor for the North End neighborhood and a tourist attraction. North End resident Bernie Sapienza said many Italian-Americans are proud of the monument.

Resident Patrick Mason, a member of the Osage Nation, a federally-recognized Native American tribe based in Oklahoma, suggested that the conversation around removing the statue is a distraction from the real issues facing Native American communities.

“We need to talk about the issues facing indigenous people today,” he said.

A statue of Christopher Columbus in front of Worcester’s historic Union Station was also vandalized around the same time as the Boston statue. In Springfield, the Italian-American Veterans Memorial Monument, which includes a statue of Christopher Columbus, was also damaged.

Worcester’s city council voted to keep the statue after calls to have it removed.

Related Content:

Christopher Columbus statue at Worcester’s Union Station vandalized with red paint

Springfield Italian-American veteran monument, Christopher Columbus statue vandalized

After beheading in Boston, another statue of Christopher Columbus taken down

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