Statue of Christopher Columbus (Buffalo, New York)

The Statue of Christopher Columbus in Buffalo, New York, was a bronze sculpture depicting the explorer Christopher Columbus. It stood in Columbus Park in the city's Lower West Side neighborhood for several decades. The statue was dedicated in 1976 and was a gift from the Italian-American community of Western New York.

Over time, the statue became a subject of controversy, reflecting the broader national debate surrounding Columbus's legacy. Critics pointed to Columbus's role in the colonization and exploitation of indigenous populations, while supporters emphasized his contributions to exploration and the Italian-American heritage the statue represented.

In 2020, amidst nationwide protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd and renewed scrutiny of historical monuments associated with oppression and colonialism, the Buffalo Common Council voted to remove the statue. The statue was subsequently removed from Columbus Park in July 2020 and placed in storage. The future plans for the statue's disposition are currently undetermined. Its removal spurred mixed reactions, with some celebrating it as a step towards acknowledging historical injustices and others condemning it as an erasure of history and a slight to the Italian-American community.