Columbus Day will no longer be a holiday in Chicago Public Schools. This Wednesday, The Chicago Board of Education voted to drop Columbus’ name from the holiday. It will now be called Indigenous Peoples Day.
Board member Elizabeth Todd-Breland stated, “I’m asking for this amendment because I believe it’s the board’s responsibility to lead on this issue.” She went on to explain, “While I know that CPS has been in talks and is working on a responsive curriculum, I would like to accelerate the full transition to Indigenous Peoples Day.”
Although many are in favor of this decision, many others are in dismay. Sergio Giangrande, the president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, told the Tribune, “This is a slap in the face of the more than 500,000 Italian Americans in Chicago, and the 135 million Italian Americans worldwide.”
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Giangrande explained that the group is challenging CPS’s decision and is creating a campaign to reverse the decision.
What are your thoughts on this decision? Let us know in the comment section below.
Sources
- Main Image: Person Signing [Unsplash]
