SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is calling for the removal of Stephen Douglas imagery from the Capitol, citing the late U.S. senator’s “disturbing past as a Mississippi slave owner and his abhorrent words toward people of color.”
Madigan says he’ll offer a resolution to authorize the removal of a Douglas portrait in the House and replace it with one of Barack Obama.
“Memorializing people and a time that allowed slavery and fostered bigotry and oppression has no place in the Illinois House, where the work of all Illinoisans is conducted," Madigan said in a statement. "We can only move forward in creating a more just world when these symbols of hate are removed from our everyday lives."
Madigan is also calling for the removal of statues of Douglas and Pierre Menard, the first lieutenant governor of Illinois who also owned slaves, from the Capitol grounds.
“Of course, removing these images does not erase our history, but it is one more step in acknowledging the suffering of so many and committing to creating a better Illinois for everyone," Madigan said.
