New Columbus Statue at White House Sparks Debate

On March 23rd, a new 13-foot one-ton statue of Christopher Columbus went up on the White

House grounds this Sunday, right outside the Eisenhower Executive Office building.

Builders used fragments from a monument toppled in Baltimore back in 2020 during protests.

The statue comes from the conference of presidents of major Italian-American organizations.

They commissioned it to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

These pulled pieces from Baltimore's inner harbor after the city said no to putting up

a replacement.

For many Italian-Americans, about 18 million strong, Columbus stands for Cultural Pride

and Unity.

Italian immigrants faced tough discrimination, like the 1891 lynchings in New Orleans, which

even led to creating Columbus Day, but protesters in 2020 saw him as a symbol of harm to indigenous

people after George Floyd's death.

This follows a proclamation from former President Donald Trump last year honoring Columbus

as key American history.

Federal officials worked with the group since Baltimore passed on reinstalling anything.

The White House called Columbus a hero here and pledged to keep his legacy alive for years

ahead, stirring fresh talk on how we remember our past.