The New York City Council is removing a statue of Thomas Jefferson from its chamber over his history as a slaveowner

• A statue of Thomas Jefferson has been displayed in the New York City Council chamber since 1884.
• Some council members have been pushing to have it removed for the past 20 years.

The New York City Design Commission voted to remove a statue of Thomas Jefferson from the Council's chamber over his history as a slave owner, on Monday.

WLNY reported that the debate on removing the statue of the founding father began at least 20 years ago, and has been pushed by Assemblymen Charles Barron and his wife, Councilwoman Inez Barron.

"When we remove this statue, we're making a step in the right direction for erasing honoring of those who murdered and raped us," Charles Barron told WLNY.

The Smithsonian Magazine reported that Jefferson owned over 600 slaves over his lifetime, with about 100 slaves at any one point.

While the decision to remove the statue was unanimous, no decision has been made on where to move it.

Charles Barron said he doesn't think the statue should "exist."

"I think it should be put in storage or destroyed or whatever," he said at the hearing.

WABC reported that the 7-foot statue was made in 1883. WLNY reported it's been in the chamber since 1884.

"Jefferson embodies some of the most shameful parts of our country's history," Adrienne Adams, a councilwoman from Queens said at the hearing.

WLNY reported that there's been disagreement on where to move the statue, with some arguing it should be moved to the Governor's Room, a museum and reception room in City Hall, or sent to the New York Historical Society, the city's oldest museum.

The New York Times reported that there's been a recent push to have it moved to the Governors Room, after 17 historians sent a letter on Monday to the panel with that suggestion.