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Historic monuments stand as silent witnesses to our history – powerful symbols that honor those who shaped our world. But as our values evolve and yesterday’s heroes embody principles we no longer celebrate, we must ask: what history do we want to celebrate?
Originally written 2021; Updated 2022 and 2025
When Statues Come Tumbling Down
Monuments are not history itself; they are commemorations of the values a particular people, in a particular era, wanted to physically represent in public spaces. ~Dr. Ana Lucia Araujo, Historian and Professor of History at Howard University
In 2021, indigenous protesters from Colombia toppled the statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus as well as other Spanish conquistadores. Starting in 2020, protesters from across the United States began taking down statues of Confederate leaders. Years earlier in 2015, students from the University of Cape Town, South Africa protested the campus statue of Cecil Rhodes, a British businessman, imperialist and white supremacist which was eventually taken down. And years earlier still, the statue of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi president and politician, dictator of Iraq, was toppled by Iraqi protesters in 2003 during the Iraq War.
Beyond Vandalism: The Deeper Meaning
What appears as destruction is often creation in disguise – the necessary dismantling of outdated structures to make room for new understanding. ~Dr. Cornel West, Philosopher, Professor at Union Theological Seminary
And though many have looked at these incidents as mere property damage. We know today, within these acts lies a deeper revelation. Perhaps these acts embody the beginning of a profound global metamorphosis? Perhaps they stand as a dramatic, fundamental shift in humanity’s moral compass? What if what’s being witnessed, is the beginning transformation of global values and the toppling an old view and appreciation for history that no longer support who we’re becoming?
Example: Columbus Reconsidered – Separating Myth from Historical Reality
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.~ Marcel Proust, French Novelist and Essayist
Consider the historical figure Christopher Columbus. History taught us that Columbus was a brave, noble, hero explorer. He was the first to discover the Americas and along the way, he met and befriended the original inhabitants of the lands he discovered – the First Peoples. History tells us he lived peacefully with the Indigenous/First Peoples while he continued to explore the Americas, or so we were told…
But as we delve deeper into history, we discover the more sober, less romanticized truth. Columbus was indeed a brave explorer but he was not the first to discover the Americas. He stumbled on the Americas not by choice or by plan but by accident as his goal had been Asia. And though he may have had noble intentions in the early days of his explorations, in his absolute desire for fame, fortune, and gold, he betrayed, imprisoned, tortured and sold to slavery, the very indigenous peoples who helped him and his men survive.
For years, countless Christopher Columbus statues stood around the world commemorating the idealized version of the man and his exploits. He was held up as a grand example of bravery without mention of the atrocities committed in the name of colonization, greed and power. And without mention of the deep trauma he and other colonizers left behind, still felt even to this day, we find ourselves romanticizing a myth, and celebrating a deeply flawed human that sparked generations of trauma in the regions he inhabited, rather than accepting the whole truth of who he really was …
Modern Reality: A Sobering Truth and an Evolving Collective
The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. ~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Leader
Today, it is impossible to ignore the full story of Christopher Columbus and other historical figures as the reality of their atrocities becomes clear. And it is becoming increasingly intolerable and discordant to honor historical figures that perpetuated acts of colonialism, violence, racism and oppression, when the modern world (despite appearances) is becoming more diverse, interconnected and inclusive. So is it a surprise that statues and other displays that still represent those ideas are being quietly replaced, demolished or dramatically toppled?
Honoring Truth – No Matter How Painful
History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history. ~James Baldwin, American Writer, and Civil Rights Activist
That is not to say that historical figures do not deserve a place in history, or that their contributions were insignificant. The replacement and toppling of statues and monuments are not erasures of history. Our history remains whether we erect statues or not. However, it is to say that the modern world prefers to be up-front, realistic and honest with history. Not to hide or romanticize it but to view it fully – warts and all. From that perspective, the global community can more clearly choose who holistically represents the values of a more diverse, inclusive, developing modern world and who no longer does.
The Grand Transition: Redefining Our Collective Values
We are not makers of history. We are made by history. And we can choose which parts of that history to honor. ~Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Historian, Author
I call this period of social change part our world’s grand transition (check out our 3-part series on Humanity’s upcoming Transition, Transformation and Evolution). I will often explore the topic of transition because it’s exactly what we’re experiencing now. Transition is the process or period of change from one state or condition to another and it is a natural and inevitable part of our ongoing evolution.
As the collective, global community continues to question and dissect history and decide which parts and players should be celebrated and which no longer deserve the spotlight, we should expect to see more toppling, more shedding, major reveals and a new focus on acknowledging the parts of history that were often oppressed, ridiculed, forgotten and overshadowed but that in fact, illustrate the truest version of bravery, hope and leadership that we can aspire.
Making Room for New Stories and New Heroes: Celebrating Overlooked Voices
When we create space for voices long silenced, we don’t diminish our history—we enrich it with the fullness of truth. ~Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw, Legal Scholar, Civil Rights Advocate, and Professor at Columbia Law School and UCLA Law School
As space opens to allow for new stories and new heroes, overlooked parts of our history, are now seeing the light of day such as:
– the history of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, educator, civil rights activist, presidential advisor and her statue unveiled at the U.S Capitol in 2022;
– a time capsule containing the themes of racial justice created by sculptor Paul DiPasquale placed near the pedestal where the statue of Robert E. Lee, Confederate general and slaveholder was taken down in 2021;
– a plaque reading “We were children once, bring them home” on the base of the toppled statue of Queen Victoria and refers to the almost 1,000 remains and unmarked graves found near residential schools throughout Canada in 2021 and many others.
The Path Forward: Clarity, Coherence, and Redefinition
True reconciliation does not consist in merely forgetting the past, but in coming to terms with it as a means of moving forward. ~Nelson Mandela, Anti-Apartheid Revolutionary, and former President of South Africa
Through all of this transitional change, the most valuable outcome is clarity, coherence and an inevitable redefinition of values. Clarity is about being clear in who we are, coherence is integrating our diverse elements so that we can move forward and a redefinition of values is what we now consider important, looking at ourselves as a unified whole, rather than focusing on just our smaller pieces to tell our story.
We can’t be clear on who we are if we don’t acknowledge all our parts – warts and all.
Time will tell what clarity we gain and who “we” decide to become as we view the past without excuses, and turn towards the present and future with wisdom.
To our inevitable, evolutionary march forward, may we let our highest values guide us ~Carmen
Notes:
Image: Darren Thompson/Native News Online, Article
**For more research on Christopher Columbus, check out the account of Don Francisco de Bobadilla. In May 1499, the Spanish monarchs appointed Bobadilla to conduct an investigation into the administration of Christopher Columbus in the West Indies.**
