Raymond V. Mariano: Changing street names and removing statues when they offend people

Each week I get emails from readers commenting on my column.

But over the past couple of months, thanks to the good people at the UMass Chan Medical School and District 4 Councilor Sarai Rivera, I’ve received more than a few emails asking me to write about what they consider to be outrageous requests to change the name of Plantation Street and remove the statue of Christopher Columbus from in front of Union Station.

The medical school’s petition to the City Council was to change the names of Plantation Street, Plantation Parkway and Plantation Terrace because it “serves as a reminder of the painful history of slavery in America.” The medical school said, at the time, that its petition was part of its “reflection process.”

In response, the City Council reflected long enough to blast the school for being insensitive to the people and businesses on those streets and then tossed the petition in the trash can. District 3 Councilor George Russell pointed out that residents and businesses would be forced to change legal documents, their official address, and take otherwise unnecessary steps.

Four councilors voted against killing the petition — Councilors Thu Nguyen, Khrystian King, Etel Haxhiaj and Rivera.

Statue of Columbus

More recently, Rivera asked the City Council to start a conversation to remove the Columbus statue. This was her second attempt.

In her first effort two years ago, Rivera’s request was denied with only King and Rivera voting in favor.

This time, Rivera pleaded with the council that all she wanted was a “conversation” to promote healing. “All I’m requesting is, can we have this conversation, please, for healing.”

But Rivera wasn’t being completely honest. Her council order requested that the city manager “organize a diverse community discussion to determine the best course of action for removing the Christopher Columbus statue from any public space.” Yes, she wanted a conversation. But based on the wording of her council order, the conversation predetermined that the statue would be removed.

That request was denied on a vote of 5-5. Nguyen, King, Haxhiaj and Rivera were joined by District 1 Councilor Sean Rose voting in favor.

In both cases relative to the statue, Mayor Joe Petty abstained from voting because his wife’s family had contributed financially to the construction of the statue.

It is unquestionable that Columbus has a stained past. But this is not a one-dimensional issue. For many, including people like me, the essence of Columbus Day and the statue erected in his honor are about the inclusion of Italian immigrants who wanted desperately to be considered loyal Americans.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, like so many other immigrant groups, Italian immigrants faced fierce persecution. In 1891, 11 Italian immigrants were lynched by a mob in New Orleans after they were found innocent of a crime. In response, The New York Times ran an editorial celebrating the lynchings.

Italy, angry over the murders, protested mightily and helped persuade the United States to take action - hence Columbus Day.

Today, for many Italian Americans, the recognition of Columbus is a recognition that their parents and grandparents were accepted in an American society that once referred to them as “dago,” “guinea” and “wop.”

A process to follow

Issues like these aren’t going to magically disappear. Going forward, it is likely that the City Council will have these or other petitions presented requesting that it change a street name, a park name or the name of a square, or remove a statue.

If the council decides to take down the Columbus statue, what happens next? There is still Columbus Park Elementary School and Cristoforo Colombo Park on Shrewsbury Street.

The city has 2,276 streets, 55 parks and dozens of statues on public property. I wonder how many of those will be found offensive in the future. If someone did the research, and in the context of today’s values, I’m guessing it would be more than a few.

Over the years, I’ve learned of Columbus’ disgraceful behavior. As much as the day and the statue are a source of pride for some, I’ve come to realize that a statue designed to make Italian Americans feel included brings great pain to others - especially Indigenous peoples.

We should not ignore that pain.

Had Rivera asked for a “conversation” to discuss how she and others see Columbus and how Worcester should deal with their pain, her request would have undoubtedly been approved. Instead, she predetermined the removal of the statue without ever allowing others to be heard. In doing so, she ignored their voices.

Rivera’s actions didn’t lead to healing. Rather, they further divided the community and the City Council.

Anticipating that requests like this and others will be brought forward in the future, the City Council should develop a clear process - one that doesn’t predetermine what action the council should take and one that allows both sides to be heard.

If people believe that the name of a street has a painful origin, a hearing should be held in the neighborhood where the street is located. If a statue is offensive to some, those involved in erecting or supporting the statue should be invited and listened to before any final action is put before the City Council for consideration.

And councilors involved should do their best to ensure that the hearing is thoughtful and listen carefully before forming an opinion.

Conversations about sensitive subjects shouldn’t be avoided. But they also shouldn’t be so poorly presented that they pit one group against another.

It shouldn’t be “us” or “them.” It should only be us.

Email Raymond V. Mariano at rmariano.telegram@gmail.com. He served four terms as mayor of Worcester and previously served on the City Council and School Committee. He grew up in Great Brook Valley and holds degrees from Worcester State College and Clark University. He was most recently executive director of the Worcester Housing Authority. His column appears weekly in the Sunday Telegram.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Raymond V. Mariano: Changing street names in Worcester and taking down statues