The School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California is removing an exhibit to John Wayne from its main building because of the film legend's racist and homophobic statements.  .

The School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California announced Friday it is removing an exhibit to John Wayne from its main building after protests from students.

The John Wayne exhibit at the School of Cinematic Arts in University of Southern California.

'I am writing to update you on plans for the Wayne exhibit, located in the main building of the School of Cinematic Arts Complex,' Evan Hughes wrote in a memo shared on Twitter. .

The exhibit was established in 2012 in honor of Wayne, a USC graduate.

Students and alumni had begun protesting against the exhibit in 2019 after bigoted comments Wayne made in a 1971 Playboy interview reemerged and were widely shared online.

Last December, the school decided not to take down the exhibit but instead planed to expand Indigenous film-making, feminism, and critical race theory, .

Democrats in Orange County wish to drop his name, statue and other likenesses from the Santa Ana airport because of the Playboy comments. .

Orange County Democrats wish to remove all statues and other likenesses of the late actor from the John Wayne Airport and rename it because of his racist and bigoted comments

They have called on the Orange County Board of Supervisors to change the name from John Wayne to Orange County Airport as part of a nationwide push in light of U.S

According to those who crafted the resolution, the effort to oust Wayne, a longtime resident of Orange County, is part of 'a national movement to remove white supremacist symbols and names (that are) reshaping American institutions, monuments, businesses, nonprofits, sports leagues and teams'. 

The resolution asked the Orange County Board of Supervisors to drop his name, statue and other likenesses from the international airport and 'to restore its original name: Orange County Airport'.  

The airport had been named after The Duke following his 1979 death of cancer, aged 72.  

Calls for the removal of Wayne's name from the airport and for the exhibit to be removed come as protesters target those they believe are symbols of white supremacy and push for them to be taken down

'Let me make one thing clear - John Wayne was not a racist

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