VIDEO: Newark Unveils Harriet Tubman Monument Replacing Christopher Columbus

Amy Furr

A monument to abolitionist Harriet Tubman was revealed Thursday in Newark, New Jersey, after a statue of explorer Christopher Columbus was removed.

“The city, which is now 48% Black and 37% Latino, according to the U.S. Census, was a known stop along the Underground Railroad, which was a network of routes escaped slaves followed to find freedom in states that had abolished slavery,” NBC News reported Friday.

The current monument stands in place of the Columbus statue removed during the George Floyd riots that erupted in 2020, per Reuters:

In June 2021, Newark announced it would replace the Columbus monument with that of Tubman, Breitbart News reported.

“Nearly one year after our nation’s racial reckoning and just in time for this year’s celebration of Juneteenth, we are proud to announce the design selected for our new Harriet Tubman monument,” Mayor Ras Baraka said at the time.

The current Tubman statue named “Shadow of a Face” was designed so visitors may walk underneath its trellis, the NBC article continued:

Timelines of Tubman’s life and Newark’s abolitionist history are displayed on a circular wall, as an audio narration by Newark native Queen Latifah plays overhead. The monument’s title was inspired by writer Robert Hayden’s poem “Runagate Runagate,” which describes runaway slaves searching for freedom through the Underground Railroad.

…

The Christopher Columbus statue the new monument is replacing was removed by the city in June 2020, following nationwide racial justice protests during which more than 130 Confederate and other historic statues were removed across three dozen states. Baraka said the city took down the Columbus statue “to avoid the potential danger of people taking it upon themselves to topple it,” according to a June 2020 tweet.

Meanwhile, Breitbart News has covered extensively the attacks on Christopher Columbus. The most recent incident happened when two suspects allegedly defaced a historic New York City Columbus monument.

The suspects are accused of spray painting the words “Murderer” and “Give Us Our Land Back” on the statue, according to law enforcement.

Meanwhile in the summer of 2021, officials offered a tribute to George Floyd when they unveiled a 700-pound statue of him outside Newark’s City Hall, per Breitbart News.

“Hopefully it inspires those who walk by to be more active, take part in activism,” Baraka said.

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