“Stories from the Circle” features varied perspectives on the controversial Columbus statue in downtown Syracuse, New York. The project aims to promote dialogue about how we choose to remember the history of Columbus in relation to the histories and stories of Indigenous peoples, Italian Americans, and other communities in and around Syracuse.
The statue has been a site of controversy for decades. In October 2020, after mass protests in the city, Mayor Ben Walsh announced plans to remove the monument and create a Heritage Park on its site. In response, the Columbus Monument Corporation launched a lawsuit to prevent the statue’s removal.
The legal battle is ongoing. This project is useful whatever the future holds, inasmuch as it records a time that was, when the fate of the statue was in doubt and when people were reflecting on its place in their lives.
Our team strove to include the views of people with a wide range of perspectives and cultural backgrounds, reaching out to and interviewing people who both supported and opposed removal. The stories incorporated into the project are from those who agreed to have their perspectives published. There are many more perspectives and stories about the statue that are not included here.
Visitors to the site can access the project using the “Stories from the Circle” app on any smartphone or tablet. As you walk around the site, you will hear perspectives from Syracuse residents activated via geolocation.
Clicking the play button will provide a web-based version of the experience. You can navigate around the circle using the arrow keys and listen to the comments in any order.
Each of the following people participated in an interview about their thoughts on the Syracuse Columbus statue and the histories it evokes. The interviews took place in 2020-2021. Participants were asked open-ended questions about their views on the statue, the histories it represents, the histories and stories they wanted people to know about, and the future of the site. In each case, a short interview clip was selected by the app project team and integrated into the Stories from the Circle app. Transcripts of those clips are below.