CHICAGO, May 7, 2025 — Mayor Brandon Johnson has defended a newly finalized agreement to permanently remove two Christopher Columbus statues from Chicago’s Grant Park and Arrigo Park, marking the end of a years-long controversy over the monuments’ place in the city’s public spaces. The decision, announced last week by the Chicago Park District, settles a lawsuit with the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA) and reflects Johnson’s broader push to align public art with “our collective humanity.”
The statues, removed in July 2020 under then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot amid nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd, have been in storage since their removal. The Grant Park statue, a prominent fixture since 1933, and the Arrigo Park statue in the Little Italy neighborhood were taken down after vandalism and clashes between protesters and police, with activists citing Columbus’ role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the decimation of Indigenous peoples. A third Columbus statue, located on Chicago’s Far South Side, was also removed in 2020 but is not part of the recent agreement.
Under the terms of the deal, the Arrigo Park statue will be loaned to the JCCIA for display in a planned Italian immigrant museum, ensuring it remains indoors and out of public parks. The Grant Park statue’s base will be dismantled, and the plaza will be redesigned to host temporary artworks, allowing for a rotating showcase of public art. The agreement also grants the JCCIA input on a replacement statue in Arrigo Park to honor Italian-American heritage, with JCCIA President Ron Onesti proposing a monument to Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American saint of Italian descent, as reported.
Johnson, speaking on May 6, acknowledged the polarized views surrounding Columbus’ legacy. “Art and culture is something that I don’t believe we should erase,” he said, emphasizing the need for public art to reflect “truth” and “the best part of our existence.” He highlighted the historical consequences of Columbus’ arrival while noting that some communities, particularly Italian Americans, view the explorer as a symbol of cultural pride. The mayor urged Chicagoans to focus on pressing issues like homelessness and housing, rather than allowing the statue debate to deepen divisions.
The decision has sparked mixed reactions. Onesti praised the deal as a “huge victory” for the Italian-American community, citing the city’s willingness to negotiate compared to Lightfoot’s administration. He expressed hope that the Grant Park statue might one day be displayed elsewhere, though he acknowledged that “the world has changed.” Conversely, the Italian American Human Relations Foundation of Chicago, led by President Lou Rago, condemned the agreement as “cultural treason,” arguing that moving the Arrigo Park statue to a museum effectively hides it from public view.
Advocates for Indigenous communities, such as Les Begay of the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative, expressed disappointment that Johnson, who previously supported renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a Cook County commissioner, did not engage more directly with groups opposing the statues’ return. The Chicago Monuments Project, established in 2020 to review the city’s public art, had recommended in 2022 that all three Columbus statues remain out of public parks, a stance Johnson’s administration has now partially enacted.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by the JCCIA in 2021, which alleged that the city violated a 1968 agreement to maintain the Arrigo Park statue “in perpetuity.” The deal also follows Johnson’s reversal of a 2024 plan to remove a George Washington statue from City Hall, signaling a selective approach to addressing controversial monuments.
As Chicago moves forward, the redesigned Grant Park plaza and the planned Italian immigrant museum aim to foster dialogue about the city’s history and diversity. However, the debate over Columbus’ legacy and the role of public monuments continues to underscore deep divisions over how to honor the past while reckoning with its complexities.
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