SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - House Speaker Micheal Madigan is asking for the removal of several statues and a portrait at the Illinois State Capitol.
Madigan is calling for the removal of the Douglas and Pierre Menard statues from the Illinois State Capitol grounds. In a release, Madigan also called to move the statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. to a location of more prominence and honor. The Office of the Architect would need to approve the removal and the moving of the statues, and Madigan urged them to vote in the coming days.
He says his decision to call for the removal is based on Douglas' past as a slave owner. “Memorializing people and a time that allowed slavery and fostered bigotry and oppression has no place in the Illinois House, where the work of all Illinoisans is conducted. We can only move forward in creating a more just world when these symbols of hate are removed from our everyday lives," said Madigan.
Madigan is also seeking for the removal of a Douglas portrait that is inside the Capitol. He wants it replaced with a portrait of President Barack Obama. Madigan says when the Illinois House returns in the fall, he will offer a resolution to be voted on by the House to authorize the removal of the Douglas portrait and be replaced with a portrait of Barack Obama. Madigan said Obama is a more fitting representation of the modern-day Democratic party. Madigan is looking into ways the portrait can be covered up immediately.
Madigan is also asking the Office of the Architect and its board to conduct a thorough review of all statues, portraits and symbols on the Capitol grounds. He says he wants their actions to ensure "any inappropriate fixtures are removed and all feel welcome."
“Of course, removing these images does not erase our history, but it is one more step in acknowledging the suffering of so many and committing to creating a better Illinois for everyone,” said Madigan.
