To still believe that Christopher Columbus was a great man who “discovered” the “new world” and to downplay the horrors of colonialism that started after his arrival is like believing the world is flat. Horrors that can’t be undone. Certainly European people can’t (and shouldn’t) be removed from the Americas today, hundreds of years later. But why honor Columbus, specifically? With this in mind, I think Seattle set a great example yesterday by replacing Columbus Day with a Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Colonialists got enough recognition anyway, let’s celebrate those who actually were there first.
Hari Kondabolu also has a great suggestion: Eff Columbus the demon, celebrate Joe DiMaggio. I can get behind that.
Thoughts?