In reaction to student demands, Pepperdine University will remove the statue of Christopher Columbus from its campus.
School president Andrew Benton said they will “relocate the statue to the Pepperdine campus in Florence, Italy.”
Benton announced the statue’s removal in a letter to students, The letter began:
In 1992 a group of men and women representing the Columbus 500 Congress presented a statue of Christopher Columbus to Pepperdine University. For years the story of Columbus and the fascinating exploration that brought him to the new world was taught in schools across America. It was heroic and exciting. Later, as the impact of the arrival of explorers was assessed more fully, especially as those impacts related to indigenous people, a different view formed. Today, for many, including those within our campus community, stories of conquest and the art associated therewith are painful reminders of loss and human tragedy.
He went on to discuss the intentions of those who gave the statue to the school, describing them as “good men and women” and saying he knows they were not trying to “offend.”
Benton plans a meeting later in February where students can discuss the removal of the statue and “other national issues relevant to diversity on [Pepperdine] campuses.”
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