(Bloomberg) -- Several New York City Council members on Thursday called for the removal of a Thomas Jefferson statue from City Hall, saying the “well-known slave owner is a reminder of the injustices that have plagued communities of color since the inception of our country.”
In a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Speaker Corey Johnson and four others asked for support as they ask the city Design Commission to remove the statue. They join a wave of elected leaders around the country seeking to get rid of statues associated with slavery amid a global push for racial justice.
“Keeping it in City Hall sends a terrible message to the people who are counting on us to work towards a more equitable New York City,” the council members said in the letter.
