It is Time to Remove the Statues

In January 2022, after a long controversy that started before 2017, a group of protesters sprayed red liquid on the statue of Theodore Roosevelt. It issued a statement calling for its removal as an emblem "of patriarchy, white supremacy and colonialism." The argument supported by the then-mayor of the city, Bill de Blasio, gave power and steam to the initiative. 

The bronze statue, which has stood since 1940 at the museum's entrance, facing Central Park, depicted Roosevelt on horseback next to a Native American and an African standing next to the horse. The statue clary translates Roosevelt's legacy — especially his views on race and support for the eugenics movement. 

For some of us, the initiative of removing the statue was obvious and fully justified; for others, it was foolish and should not have been removed. It seems to sum up two points of view that even within one of the most progressive cities in the world are preserved. White hierarchies and power are very much within the cultural institutions. However, I would say they are still under the bias of white paternalism that disguises the racism behind the administration's management in its implicit guidelines. 

For the last few years, we have repeatedly heard about the deconstruction and decolonization of our cultural institutions. Nevertheless, how much have the same organizations that call themselves progressive achieved, and how much still has to be done? How many of those changes shown so far are part of getting in line with the current cultural and paradigm trending, and how much sincerity is there in the changes? Even more, if they call for sacrifices in our flesh?

In this sense, we must consider that the people who make the decisions and hold power in the cultural organizations of our city represent and belong to the community they serve. 

We must go beyond the barrier of minor cosmetic changes. Museums today are proud to fly the flag of diversity and inclusion. However, they need proof of inclusiveness in which we can see the diversity of their constituents can thrive and generate radical changes from within the community itself.

It is time to replace those statues that are but variants of white superiority and power with other forms of arts in which we, the community, identify ourselves. If statues are necessary, we can use other forms of art. We need to reinvent the power structure within our communities, horizontal forms of organization to which we could give space, using art as a radical vehicle to engage, connect, inspire and empower to undertake remarkable change.

The tendency to consider the dark a synonym for intellectual excellence is mainly unspoken and often omitted from conversations. It is not an uncomfortable factor that people do not want to name, but it is present in the decisions of the members of the boards of directors when choosing candidates for directors of museums. Progress has been made, but not as much as the urgency need, we need more.

Adopting acts of inclusion, equity, and diversity are not new issues in the agenda of the work of museums; creating an administrative structure that is not pyramidal but relatively horizontal, supportive, and radically different from what the traditional hierarchical system of power establishes is a necessity. Moreover, museums must create experiences with new concepts of beauty, creativity, and ways to read history critically. Thus cultivating the capacity to strengthen communities, provide sublime or contemplative experiences, and provoke the imagination from a more introspective perspective and not from the normative of power.

Because of their unique role in our society, art museums must reflect the demographics of the rich and diverse demographics of communities they serve. It is time to make sweeping changes that will lead to the white box and the hubris of academia listening to the sentiment and needs of those they claim to serve.

Notes and References:

Upholding Diversity in Cultural Spaces

Art Museum Staff Demographic Survey 2022 PDF

Art Museum Staff Demographic Survey 2022

Ethnic and Racial Minorities & Socioeconomic Status

Theodore Roosevelt statue removed from American Museum of Natural

Quality Education for the Marginalized

“Philippines : Two-Day Bacolod Franchise Expo Ends.” MENA Report, Albawaba (London) Ltd., Sept. 2018.