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A controversial statue of J. Marion Sims has been moved out of Central Park.
The 19th century surgeon is credited with making major advances in gynecology. However, his work has been criticized in recent years because he performed experiments on slaves without using anesthesia.
Some people passing through the park on Tuesday applauded the move.
"I think it's great. I think it's a good idea because this is Harlem and there's a lot of black people, African Americans out here, and they have to see that all the time and know what happened. So, I think it's great," one woman told WOR's Alice Stockton-Rossini.
In the aftermath of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio created a commission to look at statues around New York City. It recommended that the Sims statue be moved out of Central Park and into Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn where he’s buried.
On Monday, city officials accepted the recommendation and the Parks Department relocated the statue. But not all New Yorkers think that was a good idea.
"They should leave it there. It's different times. It's 2018, they should just leave it there. It's been there for quite awhile now so why would they take it down? I respect women and I'm all for it, but they should leave the statue there," one man said.
The Sims statue is the only recommendation made by the mayor’s commission. Some had called for the statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus Circle to come down. However, that’s being allowed to stand.
Photo Credit: Alice Stockton-Rossini