Amid anti-racist protests around the world, which have even seen statues of figures with racist actions vandalized or thrown into rivers, residents of the state of Minnesota are calling for a rather incredible replacement for the statue of Christopher Columbus.
This is according to a report in The Independent , which states that a petition is calling for the statue to be replaced with a bust of the legendary singer Prince . The justification? The artist was born in the state and became, during his life, a symbol and spokesperson for the fight for racial rights, the opposite of what Colombo represents.
“Across the country, municipal governments are choosing to remove statues of white supremacists, slave owners, and those who threatened the livelihoods of Black people,” the petition states. “Here in Minnesota, communities are reigniting the demand to tear down the state monument to Christopher Columbus, a man who murdered, raped, and enslaved Black and Native peoples in the Americas.”
"Instead of glorifying a man who wanted to extinguish Black and Native peoples, we should honor the members of our community whose leadership we find inspiring," the text concludes.
Check out the petition, which has already gathered over 11,000 signatures, here .
