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Historical statues, monuments, sculptures erected around the world are meant to celebrate the historical contributions of key figures and events that we admire and wish to honor. But what if they no longer represent the values or principles of an evolving, modern era?
Originally written 2021; Updated 2022
In 2021, indigenous protesters from Colombia toppled the statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus as well as other Spanish conquistadores. 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, politician, 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.
Looking wider and deeper beyond the surface-level, these actions represent something far bigger than just property damage. They signal a clear, dramatic and striking transition in global values and principles on path to a greater social transformation.
Exhibit 1: Christopher Columbus. For decades, we were taught 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. He lived peacefully with the Indigenous and first peoples while he continued to explore the Americas, or so we were told… But as we delve deeper into history, realistically, 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 perhaps 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 and greed. And without mention of the deep trauma he and other colonizers left behind, still felt even to this day.
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?
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 represents the values of a more diverse, inclusive, developing modern world and who no longer does.
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 ridiculed, forgotten and overshadowed but that in fact, illustrate the truest version of bravery, hope and leadership.
Parts of history now seeing the light symbolized by new statues like that of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, educator, civil rights activist, presidential advisor unveiled at the U.S Capitol in 2022; or by 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.
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. ~Carmen
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Image: Darren Thompson/Native News Online, Article
