Why an LA Art Museum Wants Pgh’s Racist Statue

For a long time, the birthday of 19th century composer Stephen Foster was a big deal in Pittsburgh. People here were proud that Foster, who was born on July 4th in Lawrenceville, was the popular songwriter behind a bunch of hits at the time — “Beautiful Dreamer,” “Camptown Races,” “O Susanna,” and more. And while Foster himself was not a confederate leader, there was a statue of him in Oakland for 118 years depicting a barefoot Black man playing a banjo at his feet. The controversial piece came down by unanimous decision in 2018, and we wondered where it’s been since. It turns out, there’s a museum director in LA who wants it, and has a plan. We’re with co-curator Hamza Walker of LAXART. ***This conversation originally published June 29, 2022. Check out the city and surrounding region’s fireworks itineraries here. Want some more Pittsburgh news?  Make sure to sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Twitter @citycastpgh & Instagram @CityCastPgh! Not a fan of social? Then leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.