Spend a little time in New York City’s Times Square and you never know who or what you may see. They don’t call it the crossroads of the world for nothing. But lately, people have been looking past the furry costume characters and the Naked Cowboy to focus on a 12-foot statue of a Black woman created by artist Thomas J. Price as part of a series called “Grounded in the Stars.”
The large bronze figure has everyone from Black folks who are happy to see representation in the middle of one of the world’s largest cities to conservatives who have called the statue “woke” and “horrendous” sharing their two cents. But now, the latest person to get involved in the conversation is a woman who claims the statue was made in her likeness – and her puzzling request.
In a May 8 TikTok video that has since received over 695,000 views, creator @juicykisss starts by introducing herself.
“Hey, it’s me, the statue,” she claimed.
She goes on to say that while she’s happy to be the subject of such a statement piece of art, she doesn’t like that the statue is wearing jeans and a T-shirt, adding that she’d rather be immortalized in bronze while wearing something that doesn’t give an “I’m just running to the store to grab some toothpaste” vibe.
“Although I do really appreciate ya’ll putting me in the middle of Times Square, ya’ll could have did me a better look,” she said.
The woman goes on to model a few looks she would have preferred the statue wear. She mentioned a belly shirt and a side part or a mini skirt and a bun instead before suggesting a re-do of the artwork.
“Imma need ya’ll to do a little switcheroo,” she said in her post.
Although The Root hasn’t verified that the woman in the video was the actual inspiration for Price’s sculpture, she adamantly claims she’s frfr in the comments.
Some online agreed with @juicykisss saying that they would have preferred the statue wear something a little less casual.
“They might as well add a bonnet on your head,” wrote one commenter.
But others suggested that the statue’s statement is in its simplicity.
“The simplicity in her look is the biggest statement about the piece. its beautiful and meaningful,” wrote someone else.
But one commenter is convinced that this 12-foot bronze Black woman statue is the national landmark we didn’t know we needed.
“I’m telling my kids this is Lady Liberty 🗽,” they wrote.