Belleville is a town full of diversity, with 70% of our population being composed of people of color, and an overwhelming majority consisting of Black and Brown people. Being so diverse, many of Belleville’s community members’ heritage and ancestry has been plagued by Christopher Columbus’ racist colonization, mass genocide, and the kidnapping and enslavement of millions of Black and Brown people, kicking off the 400-year atrocity known as the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. The deep and vast wounds of oppression and systemic racism left by Christopher Columbus and his army of white supremacists are still felt today by Belleville's current community members of Black, Latinx, and Hispanic descent. 

Currently, a statue of Christopher Columbus sits in front of the Belleville Town Hall and we, taxpayers of the diverse community of Belleville Township, demand the statue be removed immediately as it fosters an atmosphere of mass genocide, white supremacist imperialism, and racism. Having a statue in front of the Town Hall only perpetuates this white supremacy and racism, currently, within our own town by literally putting a racist, white supremacist, rapist on a pedestal. Christopher Columbus does not represent the Township of Belleville and should not have any place of recognition within its borders, and especially not at the foothold of our Town Hall.

The Christopher Columbus statue in front of the Belleville Town Hall must be taken down immediately.