The American Museum of Natural History in New York announced on Sunday that it has asked for the removal from its front entrance of a bronze statue of Theodore Roosevelt, noting the "racial hierarchy it depicts."
Why it matters: Monuments of historical figures with ties to slavery and the dispossession of indigenous peoples have become flashpoints during anti-racism protests in recent weeks.
- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement he supported the decision to remove the "problematic statue," unveiled in 1940.
- De Blasio noted it "explicitly depicts black and indigenous people as subjugated and racially inferior," with the late president on horseback and a Native American and African man standing by his side.
The other side: President Trump reacted to the plans by tweeting early on Monday, "Ridiculous, don't do it!"
- Trump last week described protesters calling for statues to be removed as an "unhinged left-wing mob" and accused them of "trying to vandalize our history, desecrate our monuments — our beautiful monuments — tear down our statues and punish, cancel and persecute anyone who does not conform to their demands for absolute and total control," Reuters notes.
Go deeper: Confederate monuments become flashpoints in protests against racism
Editor's note: This article has been updated with Trump's comments and more context.
