PITTSBURGH (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) — Mayor William Peduto announced on Friday that he and the City Art Commission are in agreement with the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue from Schenley Park.
The initial plan is to have the statue transplanted to a private location, which is yet to be determined.
The Commission took a vote on September 23 and unanimously decided to have the statue removed.
After listening to testimonies from the Commission and advocates for and against keeping the statue as is, Peduto agreed that there was justification for removing it.
Mayor Peduto penned a letter about the statue's future removal and Christopher Columbus' legacy to the Art Commission.
In an excerpt from Peduto’s letter, he explains his perspective on his Italian-American heritage and Christopher Columbus: "All four of my grandparents were Italian and personally experienced discrimination, yet learned to love their new country. I am tremendously proud to be part of the Italian-American community in Pittsburgh, just as I am proud to be Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh and to represent all people of our city.
"After much thought and prayer I believe it is now time for us to return the Columbus statue to the Italian-American community that brought it into existence. They can preserve it in a manner than celebrates Italian-American culture, while acknowledging the wreckage that slavery and racism has done to America."
Also in the letter, Peduto asks the Commission to make a final vote regarding the statue.
Decisions on when and where the statue will be moved have not been made yet.