Chicago takes down Columbus statues

Protesters gathered near Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s house on Thursday night and cheered at the news that she was having two statues taken down. Early on Friday morning, crews dismantled monuments to Christopher Columbus in the city’s Grant and Arrigo parks. Police last week clashed with demonstrators who wanted to tear down the Grant Park memorial because of Columbus’ alleged harmful actions toward Native Americans. Lightfoot said the statues were “temporarily removed … until further notice.”

What other places are removing statues? In Richmond, Va., Democratic state House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn ordered a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee and busts of fellow Confederate leaders J.E.B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis, and others removed from the state capitol. A moving crew took the statues to an undisclosed location without public discussion on Thursday night. “Virginia has a story to tell that extends far beyond glorifying the Confederacy and its participants,” Filler-Corn said.

Dig deeper: Listen to Megan Basham and Myrna Brown’s conversation with Darrell Harrison about racial reconciliation on The World and Everything in It.