SOUTH BEND (WTHR) — Some University of Notre Dame students, employees and staff are calling for the removal of large murals in the main building.
The murals, depict life of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, have been criticized for its depictions of Native American and black stereotypes.
But the University has no plans to get rid of them, the Tribune reported.
"It's wrong that Native American and black students heading to the admissions and other administrative offices must walk by portraits of Native Americans and African Americans depicted in stereotypical submissive poses before white European explorers," Dominic Acri, a Notre Dame senior from Pennsylvania told The Tribune.
In October, WNDU reported that students on campus were protesting Christopher Columbus and the murals.
“He's kind of been elevated to this god-like status,” said Carrera Brown, the secretary of NASAND. “People tend to ignore the fact that he raped native women and contributed to the genocide of native populations.”
The mural have been a topic of controversy for years.
Instead of removing the murals, the university printed pamphlets explaining the murals and their historical context for anyone visiting campus.