Boston city officials have announced that they will be removing a statue depicting a formerly enslaved man kneeling before President Abraham Lincoln.
The statue is a replica of the controversial D.C. statue that is still standing at this time despite calls from progressives for removal.
The City of Boston Arts tweeted:
Tonight the Boston Art Commission voted unanimously to remove the bronze figurative elements of The Emancipation Group statue from its location in Park Square.
The statue, which is a copy of a statue in Washington D.C. created by Thomas Ball, has been criticized since its installation in 1879 for its racist depiction of a Black person. For generations, Bostonians have called for its removal. (Photo courtesy of the Boston Art Commission)
With their vote, the commissioners called for a process to re-contextualize the statue in a new setting.
The statue, which is a copy of a statue in Washington D.C. created by Thomas Ball, has been criticized since its installation in 1879 for its racist depiction of a Black person. For generations, Bostonians have called for its removal. (Photo courtesy of the Boston Art Commission) pic.twitter.com/iqxKSebtU0
— City of Boston Arts (@ArtsinBoston) July 1, 2020
With their vote, the commissioners called for a process to re-contextualize the statue in a new setting. To learn more about how the City of Boston is examining equity and representation in Boston’s public art collection, visit https://t.co/DllU4RRMMF.
— City of Boston Arts (@ArtsinBoston) July 1, 2020