NY city proposes a Bill on public monuments and art, connected to slavery and other crimes against humanity. Overall, the goal of The New York City Council is to give context to history of these “events”. The process requires the work of the Public Design Commission (PDC). The commission may decide to either take the artwork down or erect an inscription explaining why it might be troublesome.

The NY City Bill Also Applies to Schools

The bill would require the Public Design Commission (PDC) to locate “works of art on City property that depict a person who owned enslaved persons or directly benefitted economically from slavery, or who participated in systemic crimes against indigenous peoples or other crimes against humanity”. The New York City Council Legislative Research Center explained the process.

The suggested bill’s range also covers school names. Sandra Nurse of the 37th City Council District in Brooklyn was among the legislation’s 18 supporters. She participated in the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 together with thousands of other activists and marchers from New York. The law, according to Nurse, represents a change in her perspective and strategy for tackling racism.

Also, racism’s past in New York city. “I wanted to go out there and be part of toppling something [in 2020]”, Nurse said, whereas now, “as a legislator I have to look at what the law can do”. The Gothamist organization, which spoke to Nurse, explained approach is consistent with what academics and politicians referred to as a “subtle shift”. Representatives in communities of color are urging for clarity and education rather than fury and devastation inside those areas.

The Thorough Investigation of Monuments

Cynthia Copeland, a public historian who previously served as co-chair of the Reparations Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of New York also spoke to the organization. She said that she she believes “the temperature has come down. We are at a point where there has been some distance and I think that people have sort of taken a breath”. The legislation presents a practical hurdle for this municipality, which holds 2,500 artworks, should it succeed.

To determine whether a work may be seen as insulting, each would need to be carefully examined. Also, their histories would need to be thoroughly investigated. The city’s PDC would be in charge of overseeing the mammoth project. It has jurisdiction over “City-owned property in general”. It includes “maintenance, repair, removal, relocation or alteration of works of art” and “Advisory oversight of works of art”, according to the city’s website.

The removal of statues and monuments is a complex topic that is frequently rife with sentiment and loaded cultural identity. According to Copeland, retaining contentious landmarks would benefit the town and greatly enlighten its residents, especially with the context that the proposed bill might add.