Protest Organized To Demand Removal Of William Floyd Statue

SHIRLEY, NY — A statue of William Floyd in Shirley remains a source of heated contention, with a community sharply divided about whether to allow it to remain or to have it removed.

A protest has been organized for Sunday, July 5 at 1 p.m. by the Empowered Black Society and The Change Begins With Us, who will be rallying for the removal of the statue. The event, "Protesting False Notions of Freedom," will take place on the corner of William Floyd Parkway and Montauk Highway.

"This event will also give space for other activists on Long Island to share what their communities are working on," organizers said.

A team in Bellport, organizers added, has compiled a list of demands that they have sent to their elected officials.

Organizers want to see the statue removed because, they say, "it is a symbol of white supremacy" as Floyd, they said, was "one of the biggest slave owners in the state of New York."

The goal is not to erase history, they said, but to educate on the "true history" of the area.

The group will also protest on a number of other issues detailed in their letter to officials, including police "misconduct" and "brutalization."

The statue has been a source of debate for weeks, with petitions online stating both sides of the issue.

The first petition, "Removal of The William Floyd Statue on the corner of William Floyd Parkway and Montauk Highway" was created by Desiree Magee, who sent it to the Town of Brookhaven.asking for the removal of the statue dedicated to William Floyd, stating that it stands for "subliminal racism," as Floyd was a slave owner.

Floyd, who lived in Mastic Beach, was also one of four from New York State who signed the Declaration of Independence and the only signer from Long Island.

The first petition, asking for the statue to be moved, came after days of protest in Mastic and Shirley after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis; Floyd died after a police officer pressed a knee to his neck for almost 9 minutes.

Floyd was also a member of the Suffolk County Militia during the Revolutionary War, a delegate to the First Continental Congress, and a member of the New York State Senate.

The debate has sparked arguments on both sides on social media.

"We the people of the Mastic, Shirley, Moriches community, hereby petition to 'remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover the monument of William Floyd,'" the petition reads. "William Floyd is a constant reminder to the oppression of the minorities in this community. The statue is a symbol of rebellion and subliminal racism.

"Although William Floyd was a New York senator and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, he is not a hero," the petition said. "William Floyd was a proud slave owner! Floyd is a major contributor to the division amongst our community. The statue was placed to honor Floyd for building this community but institutional racism must be removed in order to achieve our ultimate goal of unity."

Another petition, "Do Not Remove The William Floyd Statue On The Corner of William Floyd Parkway and Montauk Highway," was created by Vincent Viola.

"William Floyd is not a symbol of racism and no one person should say an entire community believes it," the petition says. "He is the opposite. He represented the people of Long Island and New York at a time when the people had to step up and change the systematic way they we're governed. With his signature and 55 others, our nation was formed. The removal of his statue is contrary to the principles of any movement that demands change. By signing the Declaration of Independence, he was signing his death certificate if he failed. He stood for change and equal rights. He believed that if a government failed its people the people should alter the government. If you don't believe me, read the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. He signed his life for it."

Viola then quoted the Declaration of Independence.

Viola said he represents the members of the Mastic, Mastic Beach and Shirley community that want to see William Floyd's statue stay where it is.

"We are proud of his historical significance in this country. If your problem is with the government, take it up with them and 'Don't Bully Billy,'" he wrote.

Beth Wahl, president of the William Floyd Community Summit, said the group is a grassroots organization formed in 1998 that became incorporated in 2002. The group's beautification committee was, at the time, chaired by Pat Matthews, who "had this dream to have a statue of William Floyd," she said.

Wahl said Matthews had an article written in a local paper about her vision to honor Floyd, whose estate is in Mastic Beach. About two years after the article, Wahl said, she got a call from artist Santo Matarazzo, who donated the statue.

At the time, Wahl said, the group didn't know where to site the statue, which had to be placed on municipal property. The statue stayed at the library for a few years until Suffolk County and Matthews worked out a plan to put the statue at its current location, at the intersection of William Floyd Parkway and Montauk Highway.

The plan for the property also included gardens along with the statue, which the William Floyd Community Summit had bronzed and moved.

The statue has been on display at its location since 2013. "It's the first thing when you drive in to our community and we're very proud of it," Wahl said.

Of the first petition and Floyd's ownership of slaves, she said: "The fact is, slavery was horrible. But it was 200 years ago that this occurred. We can't go back and change what happened 200 years ago. What you can do is move forward and try to fix what's going on now."

Wahl, who is white and has two black grandchildren, said she wants a better world for them, "where they can feel equal and do whatever they want to do, and not be looked down upon as second-class citizens."

But, Wahl said, she does not believe moving a statue or changing the name of the William Floyd estate, the William Floyd Parkway or the William Floyd school district, as some have suggested, will change anything. "They are fixated on the wrong things," she said.

Wahl said she is happy to speak with those who want the statue moved. "But as far as I am concerned, that statue is never moving."