LONDON, June 9 (Xinhua) -- London mayor Sadiq Khan on Tuesday announced a new commission to review statues and other public realm tributes to ensure the capital's landmarks suitably reflect its achievements and diversity.
City Hall said London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, with more than 300 languages spoken, yet statues, plaques and street names largely reflect Victorian Britain, as highlighted by recent Black Lives Matter protests.
"The mayor is committed to ensuring that the capital's history is celebrated and commemorated in the most appropriate way," said City Hall in a statement.
The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm will focus on increasing representation among Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, women, the LGBTQ+ community and disability groups, by reviewing the landmarks that currently makes up London's public realm, including murals, street art, street names, statues and other memorials, according to City Hall.
The mayor has previously pledged support for a number of new memorials in the capital, including one for murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence, the Windrush generation of immigrants from the Caribbean region, a National Slavery Museum or Memorial, and a National Sikh War Memorial.
"Our capital's diversity is our greatest strength, yet our statues, road names and public spaces reflect a bygone era. It is an uncomfortable truth that our nation and city owes a large part of its wealth to its role in the slave trade and while this is reflected in our public realm, the contribution of many of our communities to life in our capital has been wilfully ignored," Khan said.
"This cannot continue. We must ensure that we celebrate the achievements and diversity of all in our city," he said.
The Black Lives Matter protests have brought this to the public's attention, Khan added. Enditem
