Chicago is reviewing the fate of 41 statues, plaques, and works of art, including four honoring former U.S. presidents Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, and William McKinley.
The news follows the launch of the Chicago Monuments Project’s advisory committee, tasked with conducting “a comprehensive review of more than 500 Chicago statues and monuments, with an eye toward identifying those that were offensive, problematic or not representative of city’s values of equity and justice.”
“Reasons for making the list include promoting narratives of white supremacy; presenting an inaccurate or demeaning portrayal of Native Americans; celebrating people with connections to slavery, genocide or racist acts; or “presenting selective, over-simplified, one-sided views of history,” the Chicago Sun-Times added.
The move, as outlined by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, aims to confront the “hard truths of Chicago’s racial history.”
Among the monuments targetted are the Ulysses S. Grant Monument in Lincoln Park, William McKinley Monument in McKinley Park, George Washington in Washington Park, Robert Morris-George Washington-Haym Salomon Monument in Heald Square, Seated Lincoln in Grant Park, Lincoln in Lincoln Square, Lincoln Rail Splitter in Garfield Park, Young Lincoln in Senn Park, and Standing Lincoln in Lincoln Park.
