Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's plan to remove a statue of George Washington outside his City Hall office has sparked controversy and confusion, leading to a sudden halt in the decision.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed interest on Tuesday in removing a statue of President George Washington that stands outside his City Hall office. However, the plan appears to be on hold.
Earlier that day, reports surfaced that Johnson intended to remove the statue, which has been in place since 1984, as part of broader updates to City Hall. Mayoral spokesman Ronnie Reese indicated the removal was part of efforts to "freshen up" the space, according to the Chicago Tribune.
There was no official mention of the statue's removal being related to Washington's historical connection to slavery. However, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot had previously included Washington on a list of "problematic" monuments recommended for removal by the Chicago Monuments Project, a commission she established to reassess statues and monuments across the city.
The commission had also recommended the permanent removal of a Christopher Columbus statue in Arrigo Park, which Lightfoot had temporarily removed in 2020 amid controversy, though it was never reinstalled. By 2022, the commission approved of the statue's permanent removal.
Alderman Nicholas Sposato of the 38th Ward, a Democrat, suggested that the plan to remove the Washington statue might have originated from Lightfoot’s administration. Upon hearing about the potential removal, Sposato contacted the mayor’s office and was reassured that the statue would remain in place. "It’s not coming down. It’s staying right where it is," Sposato told the Sun-Times, speculating that the decision might have been influenced by public reaction or his own comments.
Mayor Johnson and his office have not made any official statement regarding the reported plans or the subsequent decision to halt the removal. However, Reese hinted at the possibility of replacing the statue with one that honors other Chicago icons, such as Ida B. Wells, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, or Harold Washington.
In June 2023, shortly after taking office, Johnson announced plans to use a $6.8 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to erect statues honoring Black men who were tortured into false confessions by notorious Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge, as well as other underrepresented events, people, and groups. However, there have been no updates on this initiative so far.
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