US founding father and slave owner: New York City Council removes Jefferson statue

US founding father and slave owner: New York City Council removes Jefferson statue AFP 21 hrs ago | The New York City Council has voted to remove a statue of US founding father Thomas Jefferson from its meeting hall. A City Council committee voted unanimously Monday (local time) to take the step because the third president of the United States and co-author of the Declaration of Independence owned more than 600 slaves. The New York City Council has voted to remove a statue of U.S. Founding Father Thomas Jefferson from its meeting hall. The third president of the United States and co-author of the Declaration of Independence owned more than 600 slaves.© Kevin Dietsch The New York City Council has voted to remove a statue of U.S. Founding Father Thomas Jefferson from its meeting hall. The third president of the United States and co-author of the Declaration of Independence owned more than 600 slaves. The statue's removal had been called for years by black and Latino city councilors, and it could now be displayed in a room at the New York Historical Society. Jefferson represents "some of the most shameful pages in our country's long and diverse history," said African-American Councilwoman Adrienne Adams. Jefferson had six children with one of his slave girls. The controversy over the statue in the City Council building had most recently flared up again in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests against racism and violence against blacks. The protests were triggered by the death of African-American George Floyd in a brutal police shooting in May 2020. fwe/ju