In the context of this artwork, explore the Calls for removal of the History.
A number of student led organizations at the University of Washington have called for the statue's removal. Most notably, the Black Student Union and the Black Lives Matter coalition (UW BLM) have publicly spoken out against the statue. UW BLM staged a month-long protest of the statue in August 2020, spray-painting the statue every day to induce a response from the administration. As of October 16, 2020, there has been no response from university officials regarding the removal of the statue.The university's student newspaper The Daily has also called for the removal of the statue in an op-ed, noting that a petition to remove the statue has reached over 3,000 signatures. This petition is asking for the George Washington statue to be replaced with a Black Power fist and to rename the nearby By George Cafe to the Juneteenth Cafe. According to a 2021 poll conducted by KING 5 News that surveyed 650 Washingtonians, only 29% wanted the statue removed, 59% wanted the statue to remain, and 11% weren't sure.
KING 5 Washington Black Lives Matter University of Washington Black Student Union The Daily George Washington Black Power Juneteenth