In my prior updates, I described how the mayor's office has plans for a committee for commemorative works and a process for Providence residents to petition that committee to review problematic monuments.

In my conversation with Stephanie Fortunato the director of Arts Culture and Tourism in Providence and my contact in the mayor's office, she was confident that the committee would be established by the end of December 2019, and the process for petitioning the committee online would be live as well. 

After the statue was doused in paint in protest a second time, I attempted to reach out to the mayor's office again imploring that they make their movements on this issue more widely known and transparent to the concerned public, and received no response. 

Now that the deadline I was provided in my meeting when I delivered  the peition has passed, I have again reached out to the Mayor's office now asking for an update. I'm greatly concerned that this issue is not a priority and is being forgotten. I however, have not waivered in my dedication to getting a resolution for this issue. 

I am not impressed by the lack of urgency and transparency the mayor's office is taking in addressing this matter. The Arts Culture and Tourism department of Providence has plenty of time to plan Providence New Years ball dropping events and new art murals, while a statue celebrating an offensive and genocidal figure remains displayed in a grossly inappropriate fashion.

The priorities of this department and the mayor's office do not seem to be in their proper place if celebrations and feel good art projects are worthy of their time and attention when such a devastating wound to our indigenous communities has been left open and freely bleeding even after the cries for help rung loud for the whole nation to hear. I heard them, and continue to hear them. And I will not stop pursuing this matter until the statue is relocated to a culturally contextualized and senstive place, where our citizens can choose to view it if they wish and not have it forced upon them.