Of the. Eleanor Holmes Norton
Eleanor Holmes NortonTrump calls on Congress to take action against ‘lowlifes’ that burn the American flag DC delegate proposes removing Andrew Jackson statue from Lafayette Square this week: Congress will face police reform legislation MORE (D), the Washington, DC representative in the House, will introduce legislation next week to remove the Andrew Jackson statue from Lafayette Square, just outside the White House.
Norton announced the proposal a day after protesters attempted to tear down the Jackson statue before being dispersed by police. The statue is one of the numerous figures destined to be removed by protesters across the country in recent days.
In announcing his bill, Norton underscored Jackson’s role in the forcible relocation of thousands of Native Americans during his time as president and his position as slave owner, saying that man should not be honored so close to the seat of power. in the U.S.
“Lafayette Park itself has a painful past as a slave market. The statue of Andrew Jackson, who enslaved African Americans, compounds this insult, “Norton said in a statement.
“This prominent location in the nation’s capital, just outside the White House, should never have honored a man who owned slaves and was responsible for the deaths of approximately 4,000 Native Americans. All of Jackson’s tenure is a shameful part of our history, and I will see that he is no longer honored with a statue in Lafayette Park. “
Norton said he will speak to the National Park Service (NPS), which oversees the park, to see if he would have the authority to remove the statue without an act of Congress, adding that he would drop his bill if it does.
“I think this statue should be preserved and placed in a museum, not prominently displayed in the nation’s capital. The next generation can learn from this painful chapter in our history without celebrating it, “he said.
Protesters and state and local governments have removed monuments honoring Confederate figures and other periods amid civil unrest over systemic racism and police brutality that was triggered by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
Norton also said he will seek to remove the Emancipation Statue at Lincoln Park in Washington, which shows Abraham Lincoln standing over a freed African American slave who is on his knees looking up.
“The designers of the Emancipation Statue in Lincoln Park in DC did not take into account the views of African Americans. Shows. Blacks also fought to end slavery. That is why I am presenting a bill to move this statue to a museum, ”she tweeted Tuesday.
The designers of the Emancipation Statue in Lincoln Park in DC did not take into account the views of African Americans. Shows. Blacks also fought to end slavery. That is why I am submitting a bill to move this statue to a museum. pic.twitter.com/A0MOnISH1N
– Eleanor Holmes Norton (@EleanorNorton) June 23, 2020
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