• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • FAQ
  • Meet the Team
  • About The London Economic
  • Advertise
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
NEWSLETTER
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Must Reads

‘I would look up and feel like I was on his plantation’ as statue of slave-owning merchant removed

“I don’t need a slave owner standing on a pedestal while I tend to the garden.”

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
April 6, 2021
in Must Reads
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

The US city of Baltimore has removed a statue of an Irish-born slave-owning merchant from a square in the neighbourhood he founded in 1786.

After the statue of Captain John O’Donnell was removed from his namesake park in the Canton neighbourhood on Monday night, mayor Brandon Scott said his administration is determined to do much more to erase a legacy of racism.

“Countless publicly named monuments, statues, streets, and schools across Baltimore remain that must be reassessed,” Mr Scott said.

“I am committed to dismantling structural oppression in Baltimore by working with the City Administrator to commission a team to establish procedures for reviewing the impact of these cruel monuments while continuing to promote equitable policies to right yesterday’s wrongs,” Mr Scott said.

RelatedPosts

Anger over ‘absurd’ cost of temporary public toilets – costing well into a six figure sum

Free salon-quality haircuts & mani-pedis to homeless people to help them get jobs

‘We believe in second chances’: Prisoner goes from apprentice to manager in six months

‘It’s very frustrating…but I’m not surprised’ – Man wrongly stopped by police slams racial disparity report

Dismantling

The statue was installed in O’Donnell Square park just four decades ago, in 1980, by the Canton Improvement Association, which got the neighbourhood added to the National Register of Historic Places two years earlier.

A marker installed by the administration of William Schaefer, Baltimore’s mayor from 1971-1987, calls O’Donnell “a man of great vision and accomplishment”.

Tonight, the hostile vestige to the notorious enslaver Captain John O’Donnell no longer stands in Canton Square. This is a historical moment and I am committed to dismantling structural oppression in Baltimore.

Read my full statement: https://t.co/6yW0adpQlf pic.twitter.com/MfJnW7Wxfh

— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) April 6, 2021

O’Donnell, who was born in Limerick, Ireland in 1749, also owned dozens of slaves.

In 1786, he bought about 2,000 acres along the waterfront and forced dozens of enslaved people to create a plantation, naming the area Canton after the port city in China where he traded for goods.

An online petition to remove the statue began circulating last autumn amid national calls to remove monuments honouring people with racist histories.

As of Monday night, the petition had 920 signatures.

Baltimore City Removes Statue Of Slaveowner Captain John O'Donnell From Canton Square Monday Night https://t.co/ORIxOPuRH1 pic.twitter.com/tWp2j1smHY

— WJZ | CBS Baltimore (@wjz) April 6, 2021

It was started by the Canton Community Association and the Canton Anti-Racism Alliance, which have been working to make the predominantly white waterfront neighbourhood more inclusive.

Relieved

Torbin Green, a volunteer who helps clean the park and CCA board member, told The Baltimore Sun that he was “relieved” that the statue was removed.

“While I would be working in the garden, I would look up and feel like I was on his plantation,” said Mr Green, who has been helping maintain the park and garden for nearly seven years.

“I don’t need a slave owner standing on a pedestal while I tend to the garden.”

It is unclear where the statue was taken.

Credit: ‘Kill the Bill’ protest: Police mocked for defending Winston Churchill statue

Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending fromTLE

  • All
  • trending

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

Stress, fear and homelessness: The threat looming over families confronted with eviction

File photo dated 07/11/03 of a prison cell.

The Other Prison Pandemic

Latest from TLE

TLE drives: The Honda Civic Type R

Adam James: The lone wolf of Saville Row

Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Wire

Greta: ‘Completely unethical’ for rich nations to vaccinate young instead of helping poor countries

Set For Life Results Monday 19 April 2021

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: jack@thelondoneconomic.com

Commercial enquiries, please contact: advertise@thelondoneconomic.com

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech & Auto
  • About The London Economic
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy policy

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.