Moving beyond the monument war
During the past few months, Americans have clashed, sometimes violently, under, over and about the monuments that adorn our public spaces. Too often, the conflict devolves to an all-or-nothing argument. One side says, “Take them down.” The other side says, “Leave them up.”
While this binary debate makes for catchy headlines, it ignores the wide range of perspectives — and possible interventions — around this issue. Here in New York City, we invited our fellow residents to engage with us to better understand how our monuments impact different communities. During the last several weeks, we have heard more spirited opinions, bold ideas and practical solutions than we ever thought possible.
As co-chairs of Mayor de Blasio’s Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments and Markers, it was — and continues to be — our job to ensure that our local monuments are in keeping with the values that New Yorkers share. The mayor asked us to create a thoughtful, comprehensive set of guidelines that would help New Yorkers promote dialogue, understanding and an appreciation of our complex and sometimes difficult history as New Yorkers and Americans.
Tasked with this great responsibility, we studied the approaches of other cities and institutions, and reflected together in our initial discussions.
Then we went to hear directly from the people, because we know these monuments are hardly dusty relics. New Yorkers of all backgrounds interact with them daily — walking past them on the way to school or work, looking out on them from their windows or fire escapes, enjoying them at their neighborhood park with their family and friends.
Each represents a mix of memory and culture and politics. They are reflections of the city we live in, the stories we tell about ourselves, and the values we want to protect — and project — far into the future.
We have hosted public hearings in each of the five boroughs. Hundreds of people came out to testify in person, while thousands more participated in our online survey. And we are deeply appreciative to everyone who took these opportunities to make their voices heard and join in this conversation.
Many shared their views on the few items that have dominated public coverage, such as depictions of Columbus. But many spoke of the subtle and numerous places that monuments and other art works shape all corners of our city.
They spoke about recent efforts to expand the story we tell through monuments, with more women and people of color represented. They spoke about ways we might use these items to educate, inform and bring to life our complicated histories. Far from painting a black-and-white picture, we witnessed a range of thought that reflects the remarkable diversity of our city and the complexity of our shared past.
This process has also reiterated that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and no way to make all 8.5 million New Yorkers happy. So, in order to honor what we’ve heard, we are working hard to make sure our guidelines are as comprehensive and thoughtful as possible.
Controversies over public art are nothing new, especially not in New York City. Monuments have been a source of intense public debate stretching back decades, even centuries. We aren’t going to solve this tension inherent in our public space, nor should we. But instead of starting from scratch each time a new controversy arises, we can develop a set of guidelines that allow us to approach these issues in a coherent, transparent way that brings people together in dialogue, instead of driving them apart.
Going forward, here’s our promise: We’ll prioritize indepth, accurate historical understanding. We’ll remain committed to ensuring all New Yorkers feel welcome in the city’s many public spaces. We will never shy away from the complexity, difficulty or raw emotions our neighbors so generously shared.
Informed by New Yorkers’ feedback, experiences and the values of our city, we are now asking crucial questions about each monument:
How much artistic or cultural value does it offer? How historically accurate is it? How was it regarded when erected? What was the intent of those who funded or created it? How is it viewed now, and what might its legacy be in the future?
When the next generation of New Yorkers looks around, our monuments will tell them who we were — and what we aspired to be.