Statue of George Floyd explained
A bronze statue of George Floyd (1973–2020), an African-American man who was murdered by police in Minneapolis, was completed by Stanley Watts and unveiled in 2021.[1] It is situated outside Newark, New Jersey's City Hall in Government Center.[2]
Description
Weighing, the statue is of Floyd sitting relaxed on a bench. Watts said of the statue that "The world needed a peaceful George".[3]
History
The statue was commissioned by Leon Pickney.[4] The piece was briefly displayed at Faison Firehouse Theater in Harlem, New York.[5] It was donated to the city of Newark and installed on Juneteenth, 2021, and is to remain at its present location for at least one year.
Days after installation, on the night of June 24, the sculpture was vandalized. The face of the statue was painted black, with the name of a neo-Nazi group painted on its torso. The paint was removed shortly after by the Newark Public Works Department.[6] The statue was vandalized a second time by a 37-year old actor in October 2021.[7]
See also
Notes and References
- News: O'Kane. Caitlin . 2021-06-18. 700-pound bronze statue of George Floyd unveiled in New Jersey . CBS News. 2021-08-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20210621211953/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/700-pound-bronze-statue-of-george-floyd-unveiled-in-newark/ . June 21, 2021. live.
- News: 700-pound bronze statue of George Floyd unveiled in New Jersey. WFMZ-TV. 2021-06-18. 2021-06-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20210619072816/https://www.wfmz.com/news/national/700-pound-bronze-statue-of-george-floyd-unveiled-in-new-jersey/article_655ffb33-0f16-50a1-9500-7d3406aab488.html . 2021-06-19. dead.
- News: Spocchia. Gino. 2021-06-18. George Floyd statue unveiled at Newark City Hall in New Jersey weighs 700 pounds . The Independent. 2021-08-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20210618234247/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/george-floyd-newark-statue-unveiled-b1868071.html. June 18, 2021. live.
- News: George Floyd statues vandalized in NJ, NYC ahead of Derek Chauvin's sentencing . WPVI-TV. 2021-06-25. 2021-08-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20210805033658/https://6abc.com/george-floyd-statue-vandalized-derek-chauvin-sentencing-juneteenth-black-lives-matter/10830210/. August 5, 2021. live.
- News: Armstrong. Linda. 2021-06-03. George Floyd statue finds temporary home at Faison Firehouse Theater. New York Amsterdam News. 2022-01-09.
- Web site: Sheldon. Chris . 2021-06-24. George Floyd statue in Newark vandalized with graffiti, police say. NJ.com. 2021-08-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20210625172159/https://www.nj.com/essex/2021/06/george-floyd-statue-in-newark-vandalized-with-graffiti-police-say.html. June 25, 2021. live.
- News: Siemaszko. Corky . 2021-10-28. Actor charged after George Floyd statue vandalized in NYC. NBC News. 2022-01-09.