My latest #LIHerald.com editorial….
Columbus Day has been celebrated in the United States since 1971, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation proclaiming it a federal holiday. For years, the holiday has been controversial.
It is a source of pride for many Italian-Americans who commemorate the global reach of Italy’s most celebrated explorer. At the same time, for many others, particularly Native Americans, Columbus’s arrival in the New World in 1492 represents the beginning of centuries of enslavement and war.
On Oct. 8, President Biden became the first U.S. president to also proclaim Columbus Day, on Oct. 11 this year, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which began in 1992 as a celebration of native cultures — and a counter-narrative to Columbus’s legendary exploits.
To continue reading, click here.
