The Boston Art Commission has voted unanimously to remove a statue of US president, Abraham Lincoln alongside a freed slave. The statue which has been in place since 1879, 140 years, had been criticised for giving a false representation of US history and offensively depicting an Africa-American.
It comes as statues across the US, and in other countries, are toppled and removed for their depictions of racists. What makes this statue removal unlike all the others is that it depicts the man who led the Union in the Civil War in the fight against slavery. The Union lost over 350,000 lives in the war to free the slaves and Lincoln himself would lose his own life as part of that struggle.
A petition carrying over 12,000 signatures was delivered before the Boston Art Commission made their decision. The statue depicts Lincoln and a man known as Archer Alexander, who escaped slavery and helped the union in their fight during the civil war. An inscription on the base reads: A race set free/ and the country at peace / Lincoln / Rests from his labors
Boston Art Commission gave their reasons for supporting the statue removal in a statement:
"For generations, Bostonians have called for its removal due to its racist depiction of a Black person. Many also feel it implies that one person ended slavery and misrepresents the complexity of United States history."
Tory Bullock, a Boston area actor and activist, was the individual who started the petition. He said that he was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and that he was impressed that change could be gained without marching or direct protesting:
"I just want everyone to know that this is an incredible moment, and I don't want it to be lost on them. This was a digital experience. No one had to march, no one had to risk their lives, and we were able to effect some real change."
Boston Mayor, Martin Walsh, also voiced his support for the move:
"After engaging in a public process, it's clear that residents and visitors to Boston have been uncomfortable with this statue, and its reductive representation of the Black man's role in the abolitionist movement."
While some have supported the idea of removing statues, others have stated that they believe that eradicating history in this way serves no purpose and sets a dangerous precedent. While many do indeed support the removal of statues of Confederate soldiers, generals and racists, the removal of a statue of the all-time most popular US president who saved the nation in its darkest hour will be a bone of contention for many.
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