(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Supporters and detractors of Christopher Columbus weighed in Monday on a proposal to replace the Cook County holiday honoring him with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The Cook County Board’s Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee considered the clashing testimony but did not vote on the measure, at a virtual hearing.
Ward 41 Ald. Anthony Napolitano was among several Italian-American politicians backing the continuation of the Columbus Day holiday.
“This modern-day movement to erase history serves no purpose at all,” he said. “Future generations can learn a lot from our history, both good and bad.”
But several academics spoke about Columbus’ problematic place in history.
Fred Gardaphe, a professor of Italian American Studies at Queens College and a Melrose Park native, calls Christopher Columbus a false idol.
“Columbus keeps Italian Americans from honoring their true heroes and reconnecting to their own indigenous roots,” he said.
County Commissioner Brandon Johnson introduced the measure in December, saying tax dollars should not be used to give people the day off to honor someone like Columbus.
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