NEW YORK — A bronze statue of Theodore Roosevelt will be removed from the American Museum of Natural History. The decision was made after a recommendation by the museum, leading to its approval by New York City, which owns the property.
“Over the last few weeks, our museum community has been profoundly moved by the ever-widening movement for racial justice that has emerged after the killing of George Floyd,” Museum President Ellen V. Futter told the New York Times. “We have watched as the attention of the world and the country has increasingly turned to statues as powerful and hurtful symbols of systemic racism.”
The offense was caused by the statue’s portrayal of Roosevelt riding the horse, being flanked by a Native American man and an African man. Critics of the statue accused it of symbolizing colonialism and racial discrimination.
Ultimately, the George Floyd protests led to the museum to reconsider the placement of the statue, concluding that it should be removed.
“We believe that moving the statue can be a symbol of progress in our commitment to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable society,” Futter expressed. “Our view has been evolving. This moment crystallized our thinking and galvanized us to action.”
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also issued a statement regarding the statue, stating that it depicts ‘black and indigenous people‘ as being ‘racially inferior.’
“The American Museum of Natural History has asked to remove the Theodore Roosevelt statue because it explicitly depicts Black and Indigenous people as subjugated and racially inferior,” Mayor de Blasio stated.
While it’s removal is expected to occur soon, an exact date has not yet been announced.
