Boston City Removes Lincoln Statue That Freed Slaves, Citing "Racial Discrimination" Concerns

"Emancipation Seen as Lincoln's Mercy"
Boston Mayor "Open to Ideas for Using Removed Statue"

On the 29th (local time), the statue commemorating the abolition of slavery was dismantled in Boston Common, Boston, USA.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The city of Boston in the United States has removed the statue of former President Abraham Lincoln, who declared the emancipation of slaves, citing concerns that it contains elements of racial discrimination.

According to the New York Times (NYT) and others on the 29th (local time), Boston announced that it had removed the statue of former President Lincoln, erected in 1879 to commemorate the emancipation of slaves, from Boston Common. Boston explained the reason for the removal, stating that "(the statue) perpetuates harmful prejudices and diminishes the role of Black people in the nation's journey toward freedom," and that the statue contained elements of racial discrimination.

This action came six months after the Boston Arts Commission unanimously decided to remove the statue in response to citizens' petitions. Meanwhile, anti-racism protesters have criticized the statue, saying it "makes it seem as if emancipation was due to Lincoln's mercy rather than the efforts of Black people." This is because the statue depicts former President Lincoln holding the Emancipation Proclamation and a Black man kneeling.

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said in a statement, "This is the result of two public hearings and over 12,000 petitions for the statue's removal," adding, "I am pleased to remove the statue."

Earlier in the United States, following the death of Black man George Floyd in May, a large-scale anti-racism movement called Black Lives Matter (BLM) unfolded. At that time, protesters demanded the removal of statues of figures who committed racial discrimination from public spaces, toppling statues of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, who discovered the New World, and Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States.

However, Boston has not yet decided how to utilize the removed Lincoln statue. According to National Public Radio (NPR), Boston plans to relocate the statue "to a place where its history and context can be better explained" and said it would share ideas with citizens regarding the exhibition method.