In the recent wave of anti-racial discrimination protests that have swept the United States, statues of historical figures have been targeted. Now, a statue of one of the most famous presidents in U.S. history, the 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, the proclamation of the Emancipation Of Black Slaves, is also being targeted.
According to the Capitol Hill newspaper reported on June 16 local time, nearly 10,000 Americans signed a petition to remove a Lincoln Memorial statue on Boston Common Square.
The statue has been on the spot for more than 100 years in Boston, serving as a replica of the Liberation Monument in Washington's Lincoln Park. It shows Lincoln pressing the Emancipation Proclamation with one hand and holding one hand above the head of a slave who was on one knee and raised his head, his shackles broken. The pedestal reads "One race is liberated, the country is at peace." Lincoln was able to get a break from work. ”
Lincoln Memorial Statue in Boston, Source: Social Media
Initiator Torre Bullock wrote his reasoning in the petition: "I've been observing this man on his knees since I was a kid. He is supposed to represent freedom, but in reality he represents that we are still under others. I always ask myself, if he is free, then why is he still on his knees? In the future, no child should ask himself this question. ”
Bullock said in a video, "What you see is a white savior who saves the life of a slave." He believed that after Lincoln, the problem of racism remained unresolved.
He launched the petition on June 11 and stressed in particular not to donate to the petition, but only to sign supporters. As of the 16th local time, the petition has received more than 9,000 support. He also told the local television station WCVB-TV that this is a good opportunity for local black artists to participate in the creation of something new that represents equality.
Screenshot of the petition website "iPetitions", which has been signed by more than 9500 people
On June 12, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh called racism a "public health crisis" in Boston, according to the Boston Globe. He is considering demolishing the statue and replacing it with something that recognizes equality whenever possible. Walsh was also willing to discuss the statue's fate.
Abraham Lincoln, born in 1809, was the 16th President of the United States, leading the federal government of the North to win the American Civil War. He signed the Homestead Act and drafted and promulgated the Emancipation Proclamation. After the End of the Civil War in 1865, Lincoln was assassinated.
In this wave of protests in the United States, the statues of Confederate figures and Columbus have become the "eyes of the eyes" of the protesters. But recently, the statue of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the main drafter of the American Declaration of Independence, was also destroyed. Due to Jefferson's slavery behavior during his lifetime, his statue is believed to be associated with racism.
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