Theodore Roosevelt statue at New York museum to be relocated

NEW YORK (AP) — A prominent statue of Theodore Roosevelt at the entrance of The American Museum of Natural History will be removed after years of criticism that it symbolizes colonial subjugation and racial discrimination.

The New York City Public Design Commission voted Monday unanimously to relocate the statue, which depicts the former president on horseback with a Native American man and an African man flanking the horse.

The New York Times said the statue would go to a yet-to-be-designated cultural institution dedicated to Roosevelt’s life and legacy.

An email was sent to the museum Wednesday seeking comment.

Last June, the removal of the statue was proposed by museum officials.

The bronze statue has stood at the museum’s Central Park West entrance since 1940.

Roosevelt was a founding member of the institution, the newspaper reported.