With Columbus statue down, what’s next?

NEW HAVEN — Wednesday was the Rev. Kelcy G.L. Steele’s birthday and the day’s heated events around the removal of New Haven’s Christopher Columbus statue made it an unusual one.

Steele, the organizer of a new Social Justice Collaborative that aims to combat racism, had not planned to attend a protest.

But then he learned that at Wooster Square Park, some protesters opposed to the Columbus statue’s scheduled removal had yelled racist remarks and cursed at people of color who had come to counter protest.

“Go steal another TV. Burn down another building,” one person yelled at an African-American man, according to footage captured by the New Haven Independent.

One statue supporter tried to take the man’s sign, hitting him in the face, the footage shows. The scene drew to the park other counter protesters who wanted to stand with the few that had already arrived, Steele said.

He found chaos.

And so, while the situation eventually calmed down, with anti-Columbus activists celebrating a victory when the statue came down that afternoon, much of the morning was exhausting, Steele said.

For the pastor and for others, it was also a reminder of what’s wrong, and how much the city needs to change.

Where do we go

Norm Clement, an indigenous activist in New Haven, said he did not think it was appropriate to talk about healing while there was still so much suffering on both sides.

But he and other leaders and activists did talk about next steps for the city.

Clement pointed, for instance, to this week’s Board of Education vote to rename Columbus School.

Others have called for community dialogues, both about how to respectfully celebrate Italian heritage and about how to combat racism.

“We’re talking about centuries of history that has impacted people’s lives and cultures and identities. There’s not one or two conversations that can ensure that people come to a more common understanding about how to address these issues,” said Mayor Justin Elicker.

“All that being said, I am having conversations with some leaders, specific to [Wednesday], in the Italian community about how we can gather folks together in a way that’s collaborative and allows for listening and mutual understanding with the goal of ensuring that we’re respectfully celebrating Italian heritage.”