NEW YORK (AP) — The American Museum of Natural History is removing a statue of Theodore Roosevelt on horseback with a Native American man and an African man on his sides after objections that it symbolizes colonial expansion and racial discrimination.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday the city supports removal of the statue because it depicts Black and Indigenous people as subjugated and racially inferior.
The statue at the museum's Central Park West entrance depicts Roosevelt on the horse with the Native American man and the African man standing on either side.
The museum’s president, Ellen Futter, tells the New York Times the decision to remove the bronze statue comes amid the movement for racial justice following the killing of George Floyd.
“As we strive to advance our institution’s, our City’s, and our country’s passionate quest for racial justice, we believe that removing the Statue will be a symbol of progress and of our commitment to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable Museum community and broader society,” said Flutter in a statement.
