Every day it seems, we are hearing about another statue
somewhere in the country that is being protested because of their being
regarded as symbols of slavery and racism.
The iconic statue of Teddy Roosevelt in front of The American Museum of
Natural History is at risk of being taken down because of its depiction of the
future president mounted on a horse with two figures, a Black man and a Native
American, on foot, standing alongside. Even Mayor DeBlasio says, “The city
supports the decision and (it’s) the right time to remove this problematic
statue.”
Known as the Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt, the sculpture in
question has been “contested by activists for almost 50 years,” say representatives
of the AMNH. And, in a recent story on SmithsonianMag.com, the statue was meant
to celebrate Roosevelt’s interest in natural history and friendliness to all
races, but that was not the case. Roosevelt, however, supported the belief of
white superiority and frequently denigrated African Americans.
Statues from Christopher Columbus to the Founding Fathers and
Robert E. Lee are being removed or are under threat of vandalism. In a conversation between the Harvard Gazette
and Annette Gordon-Reed, a historian of U.S.
slavery, legal scholar, and member of the Presidential Initiative on Harvard
and the Legacy of Slavery, she was believed that taking these statues down is
an attempt to cover up or erase history.
Her response? She said that we
will still know who these figures are.
“No. I don’t,” she said, “History will still be taught. We will know who
Robert E. Lee was. Who Jefferson Davis was. Who Frederick Douglass was. Who
Abraham Lincoln was. There are far more dangerous threats to history. Defunding
the humanities, cutting history classes and departments. Those are the real
threats to history.”
Parents have an
opportunity to discuss history and racism with their children. UNICEF’s parenting blog offers these ways for
parents to celebrate diversity at home:
1. Find ways to
introduce your child to diverse cultures and people from different races and
ethnicities. Such positive interactions with other racial and social
groups early on helps decrease prejudice and encourages more cross-group
friendships.
2. You can also bring
the outside world into your home. Explore food from other cultures, read their
stories and watch their films.
3. Be conscious of
racial bias in books and films and seek out ones that portray people from
different racial and ethnic groups in a positive light.
4. Explore the past
together to better understand the present. Historical events like the end of
apartheid in South Africa and the civil rights movement in the United States
can show how people have successfully come together for equality and justice.
These shared experiences can further help your child build trust and openness
to different perspectives.