06/06/2026
The "41 statues in Chicago" refer to a list of problematic monuments identified by the Chicago Monuments Project Advisory Committee. Initiated in 2021, the committee reviewed over 500 public artworks and flagged 41 pieces associated with white supremacy, harmful Indigenous stereotypes, and histories of oppression.Key Details & ControversiesThe List's Scope: The flagged works are largely public monuments and plaques created between 1893 and the late 1930s.High-Profile Figures: Statues of U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and William McKinley, as well as multiple monuments to Christopher Columbus, were flagged for deeper public discussion.Depictions of Indigenous People: Several statues romanticizing the displacement of Native Americans or portraying them in demeaning ways—such as "The Alarm" in Lincoln Park and the "Bull and Indian Maiden" in Garfield Park—were included.City Response: The project was not solely an initiative for removal, but rather an effort to encourage public dialogue, recontextualize history, and commission new, more inclusive public art.
Bonnie McDonald and Jennifer Scott talk about their efforts to enga...
