ADVERTISEMENT

The recent protester-initiated takedown of the Edward Colston statue in Bristol (due to his affiliation with slave trade) has sparked much debate, forcing societies to rethink who they choose to honor through this medium.

This has also inspired the takedown of a number of other statues, namely those of Christopher Columbus, Jefferson Davis, and the Portsmouth Confederate Statue, and there are also demands to remove the Cecil Rhodes statue in the UK as well.

And while this statue purge continues, it’s important to note that not all statues honor people of dubious or debatable reputation, as there are a number of them honoring political leaders, social activists, and all-around good guys in history.

Twitter has recently begun sharing photos of statues honoring people who have genuinely stood for peace, equality, and justice, speaking against structural racism, sexism, homophobia, and many other social issues.

Bored Panda invites you to check out the best picks below. While you’re there, why not vote on your favorites and leave a comment in the comments section below.

#1

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

fastcarspete Report

Add photo comments
POST
monika-soffronow avatar
Monika Soffronow
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In April 1985, Danuta Danielsson was 38 years old when her famous reaction to a neo-nazi demonstration by the Nordic Reich Party was captured by Hans Runesson. She had moved to Sweden a few years earlier, having married a Swedish man. Her mother had been at the Majdanek concentration camp, not Auschwitz. Danuta regretted the incident and all that followed. She was battling psychological problems and three years later, at 41, she committed suicide. (https://www.expressen.se/kvallsposten/danuta-fran-polen-var-tanten-med-vaskan/) The statue was not without controversy. (https://mckitterick.tumblr.com/post/184320596645)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#3

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

SilkCutBlue Report

Add photo comments
POST
jmchoto avatar
Jo Choto
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember reading about him. An amazing and Very modest man. I think there is a show somewhere where they put him in an audience and he didn’t know they had surrounded him with all the hundreds of descendants of the children he had saved.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#4

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

corinapickering Report

Add photo comments
POST
ed_25 avatar
Electric Ed
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is probably in Grenada, the country in the West Indies. Not Granada, the land-locked city in Spain. Though there is a New Granada too, which seems to be a catch-all for the Spanish colonies in the americas.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#5

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

_Cailin_Corcra_ Report

Add photo comments
POST
wh4ok avatar
Jon S.
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It was quite interesting reading about the famine. Initially, there was a huge response by the British government to help the famine victims and very large charity drives throughout the British isles. However, after the first year of the famine public sympathy had dried up. Papers were blaming mismanagement in Ireland, underestimating the number of people affected by on going starvation. Politicians were concerned ongoing intervention in the food markets was having more a detrimental then beneficial effect. Public sympathy had turned to hostility as waves of Irish migrants arrived in Britain. So the remaining years of famine the Irish peasants were on their own. It reminded me of the way the EU responded to the migrant crisis in modern times, initially with a huge out pouring of empathy and accepting many millions in, then cold disinterest and rejection.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#7

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

fleshflesh808 Report

Add photo comments
POST
shalini-advocate2012 avatar
ElusiveIntrovert
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's how a true leader should be, not some idiot who can wage a war by typing gibberish on Twitter.

monika-soffronow avatar
Monika Soffronow
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Immediately before Hawaii achieved statehood in 1959, it was a Territory of the US. However, it had been a sovereign constitutional monarchy until 1893, when the last Queen, Lili'uokalani, was deposed by a group of American sugar planters and missionaries, with the support of the US marines. A few years after her overthrow, the islands were annexed to the US. Alex Fenton, Honolulu, Hawaii." Big Business and the Church, always hand in hand.

monika-soffronow avatar
Monika Soffronow
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Interesting read: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/feb/15/the-us-hidden-empire-overseas-territories-united-states-guam-puerto-rico-american-samoa

Load More Replies...
jmchoto avatar
Jo Choto
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How touching and sad to give up everything to protect your people.

uluhru4evoh avatar
uluhru4evoh
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I learned about her as a child, visited the palace she was imprisoned in. Learned her music that she made. Rather than starting a war at the cost of many lives she signed the kingdom over at military gun point. Being part hawaiian this saddens me so, but I personally never blamed her for her decision to avoid bloodshed at any cost.

noegrrl_2 avatar
Duck
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not just at gunpoint. She said in her autobiography that, had it been only her own life at stake, she would never have signed the abdication contract. It was only because at least 6 of her advisors and subjects would be put to death if she refused (including Robert Wilcox, who led two rebellions, one against the bayonet constitution in 1887 and another against the Provisional Government, and later was elected as the first delegate to US Congress after the Islands were annexed).

Load More Replies...
xyzbilalasif avatar
BiLal Asif
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So are we going to ignore the fact that America illegally & barbarically occupied hawaii?

bigh827 avatar
Harley Hans Hoglin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No. My country has made many mistakes in it's 244 years. And this was one of them. Hawaiians should be given the same rights as American Indians, but the government won't do that, because huge tracks of land would be closed to development.

Load More Replies...
noegrrl_2 avatar
Duck
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This statue is located behind the capitol building, and I got too see it last Saturday during the black lives matter march. Essentially, a small group of American businessmen stood on the back steps of a government building and declared the Provisional Government. Then, a US diplomat named Minister Stevens sent American troops into Honolulu to supposedly protect American businesses during the “panic” (there was none). The problem being, the American businesses they were supposed to be protecting from a nonexistent threat were in a completely different part of town than where the soldiers were. They stationed themselves on a street right outside ʻIolani Palace. In order to prevent bloodshed, she renounced her kingdom temporarily to the Provisional Government, only until the US realized their diplomat’s wrongdoing and restored her sovereignty. This never happened, and the Queen was later arrested and put under house arrest for 8 months for treason.

noegrrl_2 avatar
Duck
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Against the nation she was the rightful leader of! She abdicated her throne only because her friends and subjects were going to be executed if she refused. She specifically said in her autobiography that if it had been only her own life at stake she never would have given up her throne. Keep in mind, the Kingdom has been taken over before by the British (The Paulet Affair) under King Kamehameha III, and restored when Britain found out. Also, over 90% of native Hawaiians opposed annexation to the US, and they showed their dissent by signing the Kūʻe Petitions. Over 21,000 people signed. This is why many Hawaiians resent the US and don’t refer to themselves as Americans, but just as Hawaiians. Their kingdom was illegally stolen from them by greedy American business owners who just wanted to avoid taxes on their sugar.

Load More Replies...
xyzbilalasif avatar
BiLal Asif
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So are we going to ignore the fact that self-righteous America illegally & barbarically occupied hawaii?

flowergirlpower avatar
Flowergirl Power
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

World over oppressors come take over your land. When you fight back they call you savage and uncivilized. Go figure.

veronicabingham avatar
veronica bingham
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A truly classy lady with the Best interest of her people at heart.!!!

carolynwtaylor avatar
Carolyn Taylor
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So much injustice in the world--we must try to right it in our lifetimes!

abigailkorich avatar
Sophie Foster
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have done our fair share of wrongs in the past. We, however,have righted those wrongs.

Load More Replies...
karendamanager avatar
Annabeth Chase
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It sounds like all she wanted was to maintain peace in her homeland

jgallaher1117 avatar
noegrrl_2 avatar
Duck
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

According to a 1962 newspaper article about the unveiling of the statue, she is holding three different documents. One of the songs she wrote during her imprisonment, Aloha ʻOe; a translation of the kumulipo, which is the Hawaiian creation story and an oral record of the genealogy of Hawaiian royalty; and her proposed constitution of 1893 (her cabinet members, after originally supporting this, told her to wait before signing it, giving the American businessmen time to seize power).

Load More Replies...
jbarnes6872 avatar
leepeele avatar
Craymoss
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why are they an idiot? Because they speaks facts? This is the truth. And it took centuries, not until Clinton’s presidency, did America ever even acknowledge what they have done or even apologize for everything. F outa here dumbass.

Load More Replies...
View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

_James_Holt_ Report

Add photo comments
POST
chi-weishen avatar
chi-wei shen
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He helped the allies win the war by breaking the Enigma code, but after the war him being gay was the only thing that mattered. Nowadays he is praised for what he has achieved, but his contemporaries condemned him for whom he loved.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#10

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

cnombret Report

Add photo comments
POST
dariab_1 avatar
Daria B
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Member of a royal family sold into slavery. It's sad, but it's interesting, makes you think...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#11

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

revkatebottley Report

Add photo comments
POST
jmchoto avatar
Jo Choto
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People talk all the time about how Americans saved everyone in WWII. It was women. If women hadn’t stepped up to do all the work while the men went off to war, entire countries would have collapsed.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#13

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

HerefortheMerl2 Report

Add photo comments
POST
chi-weishen avatar
chi-wei shen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've read her diary when I was 14 and I couldn't do it again. Reading it with the knowledge of what happened was emotionally too stressful for me at that age.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

JudithFreedman Report

Add photo comments
POST
elsahdewitt avatar
Elsahthescienceguy
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That’s odd.... I know Virginia like the back of my hand and no one has ever told me that this beautiful and meaningful statue existed!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#15

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

moongiggles Report

Add photo comments
POST
chi-weishen avatar
chi-wei shen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For those who are confused about Spanish and Portuguese mentioned above: Magellan was indeed Portuguese, but he sailed under the Spanish flag.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#16

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

firendeslre Report

#17

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

onthemoon69 Report

Add photo comments
POST
chrisdifonso avatar
Chris DiFonso
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wasn't familiar with Miss Davison, so I did research. She was an English suffragette. During one of her protests, she threw herself in front of the King's horse at Epsom Derby. She died four days later.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

LaurenceL_Art Report

Add photo comments
POST
tracey_hirt avatar
Tracey Hirt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While Riel did sentence Thomas Scott to execution by firing squad, he himself never carried weapons and never personally killed anyone. He was a leader who led a rebellion, who was then executed for treason.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#19

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

SammSpamm1 Report

#20

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

Tweettweetter Report

Add photo comments
POST
punawild avatar
Puna
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Boy is this information wrong! Bartholdi designed it to stand at the entrance of the Suez Canal in Egypt. They turned it down because of cost.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#21

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

krayziedoc Report

Add photo comments
POST
munhuafro avatar
Munhu Afro
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminds me painfully of Marikana South Africa. Imperialism and Capitalism at their best

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#25

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

ARCASH Report

Add photo comments
POST
jmchoto avatar
Jo Choto
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I will always be confused by the stone they used for this incredible monument.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#28

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

rattlecans Report

Add photo comments
POST
chrisdifonso avatar
Chris DiFonso
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I did research since I wasn't familiar with Mary Barbour. She was closely associated with the Red Clydeside movement in the early 20th century and especially for her role as the main organiser of the women of Govan who took part in the rent strikes of 1915

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#29

Social-Political-Activists-Statues

UgonnaOkoro Report

Add photo comments
POST
wh4ok avatar
Jon S.
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Its natural that this woman's story makes people feel uncomfortable. During the 19th century everyone in Britain was told colonialism and missionary work was an unmitigated good, because it allowed people like Slessor to do the things she did. After decolonisation in the 1970s we were told it was a terribly corrupt practice which led to widespread, abuse, exploitation and destruction of native cultures through arrogance. I sought out some opinions from the people who were evangelised and guess what? There was no consensus even among them. One man said "Westernisation was wonderful. No body kills anyone anymore, we can trade for food and clothes" and another said "westernisation was terrible. Everybody has become an alcoholic, no one does proper work. We don't know who we are anymore"

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda