After she told WPRO in a recent interview that she supports the person who vandalized the city’s statue of Christopher Columbus before Columbus Day, the Providence city councilwoman said she stands by her belief despite a slew of criticism and “history lessons” she’s received from her peers in politics and others. 

Kerwin, 22, who represents the Smith HIll, Valley, and Capital Center neighborhoods, said during an interview this week at the Providence Journal that while her views may seem controversial to older generations, they’re widely accepted among people her own age.