You've probably seen the photos or walked past it yourself. A massive, 12-foot tall bronze figure standing right in the middle of the neon chaos of New York. It’s a black woman statue in Times Square, and honestly, it has sparked more heated debates than almost any piece of public art in recent memory. Some people see it and feel an immediate sense of pride. Others? Well, they’re "big mad" about it, to put it lightly.
But here is the thing: if you think this is just about "representation" or a "tribute," you’re missing the actual point of the work.
The statue, titled "Grounded in the Stars," isn't meant to be a hero. It isn't a historical figure like Harriet Tubman or Sojourner Truth. It was created by British artist Thomas J. Price and unveiled in early 2025. It depicts a woman who looks like... well, a woman. She’s wearing casual clothes. She has braids. She has her hands on her hips in a pose that many have described as "unbothered."
Why a Black Woman Statue in Times Square is Actually Disruptive
Usually, when we build a monument, it’s for someone who did something "great." A general on a horse. A president. Someone who "won."
Price did something different here. He used the language of classical sculpture—the kind of stuff you see in the Louvre or the Met—to depict someone completely ordinary. He's basically asking: Why do we only immortalize "great" people? Why isn't the person you sit next to on the subway worthy of being cast in bronze?
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The statue is a 12-foot tall "everywoman." By putting her at the "crossroads of the world," Price is forcing us to look at a demographic that is often invisible in the world of high art. It’s not about "pandering," though some critics on social media were quick to throw that word around. It’s about monumentalizing the mundane.
The Controversy: "Why Doesn't She Look Like a Goddess?"
When the statue first went up at Broadway and 46th Street, the internet did what the internet does. It split into two very loud camps.
On one side, you had people who loved the "aunty vibes." They saw their sisters, their mothers, and themselves in the bronze. They loved that she wasn't some idealized, skinny runway model or a mythical goddess. She was real.
On the other side, some people were offended. They asked why she wasn't "in shape" or why she wasn't wearing "better clothes." They felt it was a caricature. One Instagram user famously asked, "Why do they think we look like this?"
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This friction is exactly what makes the black woman statue in Times Square so important. It highlights our own internal biases about what "success" or "beauty" should look like in a monument. We are so used to seeing Black people in art as either victims of history or superhuman icons that seeing a regular person just... standing there... feels like a radical act.
A History of Black Figures in the Square
This isn't the first time a major work featuring a Black subject has stopped traffic in New York. We've seen a shift over the last few years.
- Kehinde Wiley’s "Rumors of War" (2019): This was a massive equestrian statue. It featured a young Black man in streetwear, mimicking the pose of Confederate monuments in the South. It was a direct response to the "Lost Cause" narrative.
- Pamela Council’s "A Fountain for Survivors" (2021): An 18-foot structure covered in nearly 400,000 acrylic fingernails. It wasn't a "statue" in the traditional sense, but it was a monument to Black femme craft and survival.
- Simone Leigh’s "Brick House": While it spent its time on the High Line rather than the center of Times Square, this 16-foot bronze bust of a Black woman paved the way for the scale and presence we see in Price’s work today.
Each of these works, including the current black woman statue in Times Square, deals with "taking up space." Times Square is a place of hyper-commercialism. Everything is trying to sell you something. Amidst the digital billboards for Broadway shows and M&Ms, a silent, unbothered bronze woman is a weirdly peaceful interruption.
What You Should Know Before You Visit
If you're planning to head down to see it, don't expect a plaque that tells you a life story. There is no "biography" for this woman.
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She is a composite. Price created her by combining features he observed in many different women. She is literally a "human-scale" idea blown up to 12 feet.
- Location: You'll find her near Duffy Square, usually around 46th Street.
- The Vibe: It’s a great spot for a photo, but honestly, just stand there for five minutes and watch people's reactions. That’s the real art.
- The Message: It’s about "presence." It’s about saying that being "grounded" is just as important as being a "star."
Final Thoughts: Moving Beyond the "Statue"
Public art like the black woman statue in Times Square is meant to be a conversation starter, not a definitive statement. Whether you love the aesthetic or think it’s a missed opportunity for "prestige" representation, you can't deny that it has made people stop and think about who we choose to put on pedestals.
The next time you’re in Midtown, take a second to look up. Don't just look at the ads or the "Naked Cowboy." Look at the 12-foot woman standing there, hands on hips, completely unfazed by the chaos around her.
What You Can Do Next
- Visit the High Line: Check out the Plinth (30th St and 10th Ave) to see what the current rotating monumental sculpture is. It often features diverse artists.
- Support Local Public Art: Organizations like Times Square Arts and the Public Art Fund are the reason these installations exist. Check their websites for upcoming schedules.
- Join the Conversation: Look up the hashtag for the sculpture on social media. Read the critiques from Black artists and curators—it'll give you a much deeper understanding of the "good vs. bad representation" debate than a single blog post ever could.
The art isn't just the bronze; it's the way we talk about it.