Statue task force considers adding, removing state monuments
By SARAH MANSUR
Capitol News Illinois
smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD — A state House task force continued its discussion about reevaluating controversial statues and whether new monuments commemorating minorities should be added to the state Capitol grounds.
The hearing Wednesday is the second meeting of the bipartisan Statue and Monument Review Task Force, which was formed by Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch last month. The purpose of the task force is to conduct a review of monuments on state property and proposals for new monuments or statues.
Adam Green, an associate history professor at the University of Chicago, was one of four speakers who shared their perspectives on the task force’s charge.
Green said statues, monuments and memorials and the naming practices for buildings, parks, streets and other components of the built environment play a crucial role in defining communities.
“They establish a heritage that gives our shared community a sense of origins, continuity and endurance, they signal which individuals and what actions or contributions are worthy of honoring or even emulating,” Green said. “They also identify implicitly, and sometimes quite explicitly, those values that are understood to be ones which the residents of the state and visitors to the state can consider aspiring to live by.”
Katherine Poole-Jones, associate art history professor at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, said the task force must ask what values they wish to collectively endorse in the public realm.
“We look at each monument, (and ask) is it representative of those shared community values and ideas, if it ever was?” Poole-Jones said. “Because that’s also a possibility, that it never was. What is the value of the monument remaining in public space? How is the community benefiting from the monument?”
“And I think we also have to carefully balance that against the discomfort, the pain, the alienation, it may cause some members of the community, because we have to understand that the spaces that monuments occupy cannot be entered into in a neutral way for everyone,” she added.
She said this is especially crucial to think about when discussing the grounds of government buildings, “because, of course, the history of Confederate monuments was putting them up at statehouses as tools of intimidation.”
The city of Chicago is undertaking a similar examination of its statues, and two Chicago monuments of Christopher Columbus were temporarily removed last summer as part of this effort.
Some cities, including Richmond, Va., Jacksonville, Fla., and Indianapolis, Ind., have removed statues of Confederate officers.
Last year, former House Speaker Michael Madigan requested that the board of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol remove monuments of Stephen Douglas and Pierre Menard from Capitol grounds.
Douglas, a slave owner, served as Illinois’ secretary of state, state Supreme Court justice and in the U.S. Senate among other roles.
Menard, also a slave owner, was the first lieutenant governor of Illinois, and he supported political actions devised to ensure slavery was legal in the state.
Rep. Mary Flowers, a Chicago Democrat who chairs the committee, suggested the task force consider adding monuments commemorating former President Barack Obama, as well as Harold Washington, Chicago’s first black mayor; Ida B. Wells, a co-founder of the NAACP; and Rudy Lozano, a labor activist from Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
But Rachel Leibowitz, an assistant professor at the State University of New York, cautioned the task force against adding too many new figurative monuments and memorials to the Capitol grounds.
She pointed to the Texas Capitol grounds, which has 22 statues, monuments or memorials.
“And, their site is physically larger than yours with the Stratton building, so this is just to say there can be a lot of physical clutter on the ground,” she said.
Leibowitz said the committee could also consider relocating statues or monuments from the Capitol grounds to another place, like a hall of statues.
“I suggest that only because then the state capitol grounds becomes open to everyone,” Leibowitz said. “There is no one there saying, ‘I am not represented.’ There is no one saying, ‘I don’t see myself and my story reflected.’ It is the building, it is the ground. It’s something to consider. I’m not saying that’s the solution, but I just want to offer that as a possibility.”
She also raised the possibility of constructing abstract memorials, such as the Vietnam Memorial in the Washington, D.C.
“I would encourage you also to consider as you move forward…is what you want more figurative statues, more great men or great women on pedestals, or do you want to create something that is more inviting?” she said. “Do you want to celebrate, for example, the life of Dr. King in a way that offers moments in time, that shows struggles and triumphs? How do you want to commemorate this history moving forward? You have options.”
Flowers and Republican spokesperson Rep. Tim Butler, of Springfield, have endorsed relocating and redesigning the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. that is currently placed across the street from the Capitol grounds.
Secretary of State Jesse White, who also supports this proposal, has pledged $5,000 towards the construction of a new King statue.
Flowers said White and the Architect of the Capitol Andrea Aggertt will present at the next task force meeting, which has not yet been scheduled.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
Swanson scores, assists in Red Stars’ win over Reign
Spread the loveThe Red Stars improved to 3-1-1 by beating the Seattle Reign, 2-1, on the road on April 21. Mallory Swanson had an assist on an Ali Schlegel goal in the fourth minute and added a goal of her own in the 31st minute. Swanson missed last season after sustaining a knee injury on…
Red Stars’ Tatumn Milazzo has top Save of the Week
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Tatumn Milazzo called her achievement “funny.” The Chicago Red Stars defender and Orland Park native was awarded the NWSL’s Save of the Week after chasing down a ball in a loss to Angel City on April 13. The Save of the Week usually goes to a goalie. Milazzo laughed…
Men’s College Volleyball | Saint Xavier captures fifth straight conference tourney title
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The SXU men’s volleyball team won its fifth straight Chicagoland Christian Athletic Conference tournament championship after a 25-16, 25-17, 25-22 sweep of Calumet College of St. Joseph on April 20 at the Shannon Center. Jan Lopuch had 10 kills and nine digs for the Cougars. With the win, the…
College Baseball | Saint Xavier upsets Eastern Illinois
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Saint Xavier baseball team picked up a win that its players are going to remember for a long time. The Cougars stunned Eastern Illinois, 4-2, on April 17 in Charleston. It was the Cougars’ first win over the Panthers, a Division I program, since 2005. Lyons grad Troy…
St. Laurence hoops teams top honor roll
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area basketball teams proved to be strong on the court and in the classroom this season, and St. Laurence was the leader of the pack. The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association compiled a list of the top academic teams, and the area did well. In Division 3 girls, St. Laurence…
Chicago Bears recognize St. Rita senior with All-Star award
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Chances are good that few outside of St. Rita football circles know who David Lyle is. With good reason. Lyle missed his senior season for the Mustangs last fall after sustaining a serious knee injury. He even postponed having knee surgery so that he could take care of his…
Pols want 63rd St. armory for new police HQ
Spread the love. Porfirio, Guerrero-Cuellar push plan in Springfield . By Tim Hadac Any plans the Chicago Department of Aviation may have had for the vacant Army National Guard Midway Armory, 5400 W. 63rd St., may be grounded, at least for now. Several elected officials are eyeing the parcel as the headquarters of a new…
Her back against the wall, Stacy needs help
Spread the love. By Tim Hadac Editor Clear-Ridge Reporter & NewsHound (708)-496-0265 . Clearing and Garfield Ridge have earned a reputation as a place where people look out for each other—and that sometimes means caring for each other in times of need. Today, I want to talk about one such person, who sure could use…
Neighbors
Capacity crowd speaks out against Evergreen Park dispensary
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Additional chairs had to be brought out to seat an overflow crowd of Evergreen Park residents who attended a meeting April 15 regarding a proposed cannabis dispensary for the village. And many who were in attendance voiced their opposition to having a dispensary in Evergreen Park. Most of the people cited…
Countryside puts dog park on hold, will require leashes in two parks
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The city of Countryside has put on hold building a dog park, but canines and their owners are still in store for a treat. The city council has unanimously approved a plan to permit dogs in City Park and Countryside Park this year. Previously, they were not allowed in the…
Bridgeview approves auto repair shop
Spread the loveMoves up time for May 1 village board meeting By Steve Metsch Bridgeview is getting a new automotive repair shop. The village board at its April 17 matinee meeting approved a special use permit that will allow a repair shop at 9010 S. Beloit Ave. There was no discussion among trustees. The board…
Summit Fire Department blood drive draws a crowd
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The Summit Fire Department, along with the Village of Summit, and the Argo Summit Lions Club held a blood drive this past Saturday, and it drew a crowd that even impressed the American Red Cross. It took place from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. with non-stop donors walking through the…
Hodgkins toasts village businesses
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Hodgkins Mayor Ernest Millsap and the Board of Trustees celebrated the village’s businesses at its annual Business Appreciation Breakfast on April 10. Over 100 people gathered at the Hodgkins Administration Center for a hearty breakfast hosted by the village. Representatives from many businesses that are located in or that work…
Pickleball courts coming to Palos Park
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva There will finally be outdoor pickleball in Palos Park. In a process that went longer than anticipated, the Palos Park Village Council was able give the green light to get a pickleball project started on the Village Green. The council voted April 8 to award the contract to U.S. Tennis…
First Secure Bank to host American Eagle gold coin sale
Spread the loveFrom staff reports First Secure Bank & Trust of Palos Hills announced its annual May sale of 1-ounce and ¼-ounce American Eagle Gold Coins, produced by the U.S. Mint, will take place from 10 a.m.to noon on Saturdays, May 4, May 11, May 18 and May 25. The sale will take place at…
Donate teddy bears to our local police
Spread the love. Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . Have you ever seen the 1955 movie The Night of the Hunter? The children in this movie show such bravery and acceptance in what life has thrown at them. They have to deal with unimaginable events and sadness. …
Boy Scouts collecting tattered flags for disposal
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . Goodbye April, hello May. Our American Flag, the symbol of our country, should always be treated with respect. But after bearing Chicago’s brutal winters and hot blazing summers along with being in the…