Across the country, statues of Christopher Columbus, the Genoese navigator who first colonized the Indies in the name of Spain’s Catholic monarchs, are being vandalized and torn down. Most recently, it was announced that the statue of Columbus that stands in front of Columbus, Ohio’s City Hall will be removed and replaced with a commissioned piece representative of diversity and inclusion.

“For many people in our community, the statue represents patriarchy, oppression, and divisiveness,” said Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, adding, “now is the right time to replace this statue with artwork that demonstrates our enduring fight to end racism.”