A 12-foot-tall bronze statue of a Black woman by British sculptor Thomas J. Price, titled *Grounded in the Stars* (2023), has been installed in Times Square, sparking a polarized public reaction. Online, conservative commentators and social media users have labeled the work a sign of a "very sick society" and a "death of civilization," with racist AI-generated and Photoshopped images circulating. In person, the sculpture has drawn both affirming responses—such as a Black woman mimicking its defiant pose—and disrespectful acts, including a white man groping the statue's buttocks for a photo. The work, which stands near permanent monuments to white male figures, will be on view until June 17.
This controversy matters because it reveals deep cultural fault lines over representation in public monuments. Price's sculpture, part of a decade-long practice of depicting Black figures in everyday poses, challenges the historical dominance of white male statuary in public spaces. The vitriolic response—including racist memes and mockery—underscores how efforts to diversify public art can provoke backlash, while the work's popularity among some visitors shows its power as an affirming symbol. The debate reflects broader tensions around race, identity, and whose stories are deemed worthy of monumentalization.