By Victoria Mejicanos
AFRO Staff Writer
vmejicanos@afro.com
In celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary on July 4, the National Park Service has installed new statues in Washington, D.C.’s Freedom Plaza. But one statue in particular, the statue that honors Caesar Rodney, is causing controversy.
According to information released by the National Park Service (NPS), Caesar Rodney was a “colonial leader, military officer, and public servant.” He was a leader during the American Revolution and in 1778, made a name for himself as the “president” of Delaware, the state in which he was born.
Though the Delaware Public Archives currently describe Rodney as “one of Delaware’s most distinguished statesmen,” others disagree. Rodney may have been a man of influence, but he took no issue with owning human beings and forcing them into America’s brutal system of chattel slavery.
A statue of Rodney, which used to be in Delaware, was taken down in 2020 following the death of George Floyd. Now, it’s installed in the nation’s capital.
People took to social media to express their thoughts on the installation, including Troi Bella, a Meta (Facebook) user.
“Let’s analyze something here…these are things that actually make people feel American? They have nothing else, but this? Let that sink in,” she said. “Who really wants to continuously acknowledge THIS part of their heritage?”
Others expressed they were disappointed, but not surprised. Kraven Danielle Rowry, a digital creator from Waco, Texas, also used the platform to speak out.
“Not surprised,” she wrote. “No matter how much this administration and its supporters sanction racism, it is still a sin.”
Freedom Plaza has reopened ahead of the events planned for the nation’s 250th anniversary.
