SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane City Council members took "a small step in righting a wrong" during Monday night's meeting.
Council members passed an ordinance Monday which lays out how the city will act upon complaints about statues deemed racist or offensive on city property. The ordinance passed in a 5-2 vote, with councilmembers Jonathan Bingle and Michael Cathcart voting against it.
The ordinance stems from complaints about a statue outside the Spokane Club that celebrates Spokane veteran John Monaghan. Some community members believe it perpetuates racism because the plaque below the statue refers to Samoan people as "savage foes."
According to the Spokane Historical Society, Monaghan was in the first graduating class at Gonzaga University and the first person in Washington state to attend the Naval Academy. Monaghan served as an officer aboard the U.S.S. Philadelphia, which destroyed native villages in Samoa as the United State battled the British to gain control.
Monaghan was killed by the natives in one of those battles. His statue was dedicated in 1906 and has stood in its place ever since.
During Monday night's meeting, city council members heard testimony from those who want the statue to stay and others who want it torn down. Opponents of the statue argue keeping it up implies Samoans and Pacific Islanders are not welcome in Spokane, while supporters say history can't be changed.
The Spokane Human Rights Commission passed a resolution in 2022 in support of removing the statue, but the city had no clear process to act or respond to their recommendation. The new ordinance allows the city to consider and act upon community members' concerns regarding institutional statements, names or monuments on city property.
"This is a small step in righting a wrong," Councilmember Paul Dillon said. "I really look forward to us passing this."
Councilmember Bingle voted against the ordinance, stating both sides of the debate could meet in the middle.
"There are two open sides to the Monaghan statue where we could add modern context," Bingle explained. "So first off, we could address what has been said for over 100 years on that statue. Obviously calling an entire group of people savages is completely unacceptable."
To be clear, council members did not vote to remove the statue; rather, the ordinance passed simply creates a process to consider and act upon community members' concerns regarding city-owned property.
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