Columbus statue replacement unveiled: black icon monument that plays audio recordings of Queen Latifah

The historic classical statue of Christopher Columbus has been replaced with a more modernist take on art featuring famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

The new monument, located in the heart of Newark, New Jersey, was unveiled on Thursday in the newly renamed Harriet Tubman Square. Until the recent riots caused by the death of George Floyd, the park was actually known as Washington Park.

“At a time when so many cities are choosing to repeal laws that limit the scope of their people’s history, we have decided to erect a monument that will push us towards our future history of exemplary strength and solidity,” said Newark Mayor Russ J. Baraka. in a statement via CNN.

Baraka’s reference to “statues that limit the scope of their people’s history” appears to be a rather clumsy shot at Columbus, who has been portrayed as something of a villain in recent years due to alleged mistreatment of indigenous people in the Americas.

It should be noted that in recent years, one particular criticism of Columbus has linked the famous explorer to the spread of slavery in the West.

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This latest racial criticism of Columbus is at the heart of why his statue was originally removed in 2020 amid social justice protests following the death of George Floyd.

Despite his place in history, these links between Columbus and racial grievances have almost made his many accomplishments moot.

Tubman, on the other hand, clearly does not experience any of these problems.

“We have established a focal point in the heart of our city that expresses our commitment to the ongoing living history of a people who have overcome many conflicts to steadily lead our nation in its journey towards racial equality,” Baraki said in a statement.

Should the statue of Christopher Columbus have been removed?

Some social media users have expressed disgust that the classic statue of Columbus has been replaced with something decidedly less classic.

The original statue, which showed Columbus in a pose, was replaced with Tubman’s face and a peculiar, almost Christmas-like depiction of Tubman’s silhouette. The new monument is called “Shadow of the Face”, a reference to a 1962 poem that mentions Tubman.

The new monument features the aforementioned face and monument, as well as a new tile mosaic containing stories from Tubman’s life and other stories from black history, according to CNN.

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In addition, the monument will have a sound component. Former rapper and artist Queen Latifah will tell different stories from the life of Tubman.

The divisive “Shadow of a Face” reception echoes another similar recent backlash against an important figure in black history.

In January, a new bronze sculpture honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, was unveiled in Boston.

This bronze sculpture has also been criticized for its idiosyncratic physical design and appearance.

In fact, even a King relative thought the sculpture was no good at all.

“If you showed this statue to someone wearing a hood, they would say, ‘No, absolutely not,’” Seneca Scott, cousin of Coretta King, said of the statue shortly after it was discovered.

This article originally appeared in The Western Journal.

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