Open letter sent to Notre Dame asking for removal of Christopher Columbus murals

Opponents of Christopher Columbus are turning their angst towards Notre Dame.

Notre Dame has been home to 12 murals of Christopher Columbus painted by artist Luigi Gregori that feature him in various settings.

In one instance, Columbus is show celebrating his contest of Grenada and is seen showing off Native Americans he brought with him to Europe to Spanish royalty. Others depict blacks in ways opponents to Columbus feel are stereotypical and demeaning.

The South Bend Tribune reports that an open letter signed by 340 students, employees, and alums addressed to the Reverend John Jenkins was published in The Observer paper Tuesday.

The murals have been in Notre Dame’s halls since 1884, but movements to have them removed have endured since the 1990s.