Angered that the city is considering returning the Christopher Columbus statue to its Seaside Park pedestal, a diverse group of area residents demanded that the city look for another location. “It doesn’t mean what it’s been represented to,” said Wayne Winston, a Black community activist who served as the master of ceremonies for a conference of 18 Black, Native American and Latino residents outside the Margaret Morton Government Center on Broad Street Friday night.

“It’s not something that should be honored and idolized, but he has a place of history for what he was as a navigator.” Winston urged his “Italian brothers understand” and suggested the statue be placed in the Italian Community Center or St. Margaret’s Shrine, but not Seaside Park.