San Francisco reassessing public monuments of past and future: Here's a look at city's art history

The San Francisco Arts Commission says some statues are rooted in the past and do not properly acknowledge people who helped build the city. The reassessment follows years of political and public pressure that changed how the city presents history. In June 2020, the Christopher Columbus monument in front of Coit Tower was removed early in the morning and the city said it did not align with San Francisco’s values or its racial justice commitment. The “Early Days” statue, installed in 1894, was removed in 2018 after critics said it depicted and glorified oppression of Native Americans, leaving an empty space. A Robert Emmet statue in Golden Gate Park was installed in 1919 despite having no direct connection to San Francisco, and the mayor James Phelan was known for leading the anti-Asian movement in California.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco