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Jimmy_kong253 t1_j62w4au wrote

I saw it yesterday and it looks like someone twisted a coat hanger into a shape of something. Personally well I think they should have given the Italians a chance to replace the Columbus statue with someone else I also think why isn't it a statue of a famous Newark born person instead of someone who has no real links to the city instead? Tubman and Columbus have statues and plaques around the country already. Something that people from out of town could see and learn a little about the history of the city

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msoldub OP t1_j63wulx wrote

At least Newark was actually an important part of the Underground Railroad. https://sasn.rutgers.edu/news-events/news/black-church-stood-rutgers-newark-property-designated-national-historic-site-ties-underground-railroad

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Jimmy_kong253 t1_j643ox1 wrote

But a lot of places claim they were an important part of the underground railroad the plaques and everything I saw in Delaware pretty much said it was an important part of the underground railroad. I'm just saying there was a missed opportunity to honor somebody who was born and raised in the city instead of going with a figure that's got multiple statues and plaques in different states. Aside from the fact that when you compare other statues in this park to the Tubman one it looks out of place

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sutisuc t1_j64er7m wrote

You’re not wrong, I would have liked to see a black leader with connections to Newark go up here too but I think this is a marketing tool more than anything else. Basically if they chose someone with Newark connections it wouldn’t get as much attention, especially outside of Newark, and they want stuff like this to add to the overall attention Newark is getting now as the city gentrifies rapidly.

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Jimmy_kong253 t1_j64fi4l wrote

Yep it's a great selling point when the kid whos parents co-signed and probably paying the rent for the "luxury" apartment can tell his or her friends I live near Harriot Tubman square. Mucho progressive points I guess which will be factored into the rental price by the developer

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