The fate of New York City statues commemorating two of the nation’s Founding Fathers will be decided by the wife of Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Speaking during a Friday morning press conference, de Blasio backed his decision to promote New York City first lady Chirlane McCray to a city commission focused on “racial justice and reconciliation” that will assess whether statues of Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson should be removed.
“This is exactly the kind of thing that this new commissions needs to examine,” de Blasio told reporters. “I think it is the time to evaluate the entire look and feel of this city, and a commission that’s focused on justice and reconciliation can really think about a bigger approach. I’m going to charge them with that task.”
McCray, who will be charged with deciding the fate of a Washington statue in New York’s City Hall, has already overseen a task force to consider building new statues throughout the city. In 2017, McCray drew heated criticism for her commission’s decision to forego building a statue for Italian American nun Mother Cabrini.
After reporters pushed back on de Blasio’s announcement, the Democratic mayor said the commission was the “right” way to move forward for the city.
“I don’t have a foregone conclusion for you now as to what names should be kept, what names should be changed,” he added. “But I think this commission is the right way to do it.”
A statue of Washington was ripped down by protesters in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, and statues dedicated to Jefferson and President Abraham Lincoln have also been defaced during weeks of nationwide protests.
