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Chicago Tribune
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Mayor Brandon Johnson defends deal on Columbus statues
Mayor Brandon Johnson defended the decision Tuesday to permanently remove Christopher Columbus statues from two Chicago parks as an effort to show 'our collective humanity.' The Grant Park and Arrigo Park Columbus statues have hung in political limbo since former Mayor Lori Lightfoot removed them amid protests in 2020. But Johnson's newly appointed Park District CEO, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, announced a deal last week to loan the smaller statue, that had been in Arrigo Park, for a planned Italian immigrant museum and clear away the larger Grant Park statue's base. Asked about the long celebrated, but now more closely scrutinized Italian explorer's legacy, Johnson Tuesday talked about the trans-Atlantic slave trade and decimation of indigenous American people that followed Columbus's arrival. Still, Columbus left a legacy many are proud of, he added. 'Art and culture in particular is something that I don't believe we should erase,' Johnson said. 'And we do have to make sure that our presentation is depicting not just truth, but the best part of our existence, which is our collective humanity.' The statue deal resolved a lawsuit filed by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans over the Arrigo Park statue removal. But another community group, the Italian American Human Relations Foundation of Chicago, blasted the agreement to get the statue back as 'cultural treason.' The group's president, Lou Rago, said the deal between the Park District and the JCCIA, which he was formerly president of, 'is not a return,' but 'a burial.' 'The statue will be hidden away indoors – out of public sight – as part of an undefined 'museum-style' exhibit,' Rago wrote. 'A sad final disposition of a statue of the heroic navigator whose voyages led to the introduction of Western European civilization and culture to a new world.' Ron Onesti, president of the JCCIA, which represents over 60 Italian-American organizations across the Chicago area, praised the deal last week as a 'huge victory for our community, and to all those who believe in free speech and artistic expression.' On Tuesday, he defended the deal as 'what the community wants.' 'You have to understand the options,' Onesti said. 'The city owns the statue and could have done anything. It could have been melted down to Columbus keychains.' Onesti praised Johnson's administration for discussing the statues, something he said former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's team would not do. Safety issues were a key focus for the city in negotiations, he added. The deal also gives JCCIA say in what statue honoring an Italian takes Columbus's place in Arrigo Park. Onesti suggested Frances Xavier Cabrini, better known as 'Mother Cabrini,' the Italian-born woman who became the first American to be named a saint and who died in Chicago. He hopes his organization can also someday get the Grant Park Columbus state to be put on display somewhere. 'Sure we want it back where it was,' he said. 'But the world has changed quite a bit.' Asked Tuesday about the difference between the removed Columbus statues and the controversial pro-Palestinian protest puppet his administration kept up at the Chicago Cultural Center in January, Johnson argued 'there is a distinction between art and monument.' 'A monument solidifies a position… we are honoring,' he said. 'Art is not necessarily telling you you should honor their opinion or their thought.' Johnson praised the 'healthy' debate around the statue plans. He welcomed a 'larger circle or conversation about the historic harms that have been caused,' and said Chicago should rally around the story of its founding by a Black Haitian immigrant and a Pottawatomie woman. The Park District announced it plans to use the freed up Grant Park space once the Columbus plinth is removed to 'redesign the plaza as a gathering space that will accommodate temporary artworks.' The statues were taken down amid bloody confrontations between police and protesters in 2020, and remained in storage while Lightfoot awaited a task force recommendation about what to do about those statues and others that were targeted by activists for honoring white supremacy or disrespecting Indigenous peoples. That report finally landed in 2022. With the new deal, Johnson now holds responsibility for ending the long-running statue standoff. But despite the move, he argued the focus among Chicagoans should not be on 'dividing lines' and urged focus on other issues facing the city. 'All of Chicago wants us to address homelessness. All of Chicago wants us to address housing. All of Chicago wants us to address violence in the city,' he said. 'And that's what we're doing.'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Christopher Columbus statue finds new home as Chicago Park District plans fresh start for Arrigo Park
The Brief The Chicago Park District reached a settlement over the 2020 removal of a Christopher Columbus statue from Arrigo Park. The statue will be loaned to a local Italian-American group for indoor display; it will not return to public park space. The Park District is launching a community process to select a new statue for Arrigo Park honoring Italian-American heritage. CHICAGO - After years of debate and legal battles, the Christopher Columbus statue removed from Chicago's Arrigo Park in 2020 will not return to its original location but will instead be relocated indoors. What we know The Chicago Park District announced Thursday it has reached a settlement with the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA) over the city's decision to remove the Columbus statue from Arrigo Park during the summer of 2020. That removal came during a wave of nationwide protests, some of which in Chicago turned confrontational, prompting the city to take down several Columbus statues for public safety. Under the terms of the agreement, the City of Chicago, which owns the statue, will loan it to the JCCIA. The organization plans to display it inside a redeveloped building it owns in the city. The Park District, in line with recommendations from the Chicago Monuments Project, will also remove the plinth that once held a Columbus statue in Grant Park. That will open up space for public access and allow new art installations in the future. What's next The Park District says it's beginning a public process to decide on a new statue for Arrigo Park—one that honors the contributions of Italian Americans to Chicago's history. That process will include community input sessions and a call for artists to submit qualifications. "The Chicago Park District is committed to diversifying our statuary to ensure we are honoring Chicago's rich history and diversity," said General Superintendent and CEO Rosa Ramirez-Rosa. The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) will work alongside the Park District to manage the artist selection and community engagement. At Grant Park, officials plan to redesign the former Columbus statue area into a plaza that will host rotating public art. What we don't know Details about when the Columbus statue will go on display inside the JCCIA's building have not been shared. The Source The information in this article was provided by the Chicago Park District.
