The 11 a.m. event will be held at Columbus circle and the media and NY citizens are invited.
“We’ve got to stop this culture. What they’re doing to Columbus is a slap in the face to Italian-Americans,” said John Fratta, who heads the local chapter of the Commission of Social Justice/Sons and Daughters of Italy.
The controversy blew up last week, when the city Department of Education put out the new school calendar, referring to Oct. 11 Columbus Day as “Indigenous People’s Day.”
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Italian-American politicians and activists were furious and ensued and the DOE and the mayor, clearly in damage control, updated the calendar to say it would close schools on Oct. 11 for “Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day.”
Aside from strongly opposing the cancelation of Columbus, Italian-American civic leaders said it was wrong for the city school system to celebrate Italian-Americans and native Americans on the same day.
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“This is what we call destructive pluralism. It pits one group against another,” said Joseph Scelsa, president of the Italian-American Museum.
“You’re supposed to support each group. Each group should have their own day,” said Scelsa, who chaired a multicultural advisory panel under former schools chancellor Nathan Quinones.
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De Blasio claimed that both he and new Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter were completely blindsided by the move by their own education department — even though he’s had total control over the school system for nearly the past eight years.
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Fratta of the Sons of Italy scoffed at the mayor’s claim that he didn’t know that Columbus’ name was stricken from the school calendar.
“If you believe that I have a bridge to sell you,” he said.
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An ad promoting the event said: “New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his education department are violating the civil rights of Italian-Americans….The mayor and his appointees have pitted racial group against racial group. Rather than uniting our gorgeous mosaic, they sow confrontation and feed anger and destroy unity and understanding.”
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Reps from the Columbus Citizens Foundation, the Columbus Heritage Coalition, Italian One Voice Coalition, UNICO National, and the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian-American Organizations are also expected to attend the pro-Columbus event. De Blasio has no desire to reinstate Columbus because the school calendar still celebrates Italian-Americans.
“I don’t agree with protests against Italian Heritage Day. Italians have done so many things for New York City. Our two greatest mayors are Italian,” said City Hall spokesman Bill Neidhardt. “(Bonus points if you guess correctly).”
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Media Advisory: A Gathering of Eight Italian-American Community Groups Unite in Columbus Circle to protect Italian Heritage and Columbus Day
Who: Order Sons of Italy in America, Italian Sons and Daughters of America, Italian American Coalition, The Commission for Social Justice, Unico National, Columbus Citizens Foundation, and the Columbus Heritage Coalition, with the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations
What: A public gathering to show support for a threatened cultural celebration, with speakers including, Joe Piscopo, Arthur Aidala Where: Columbus Circle, North East Corner, New York
When: May 12, 2021, 11 AM EST
Why: To show support for Columbus Day, a day of celebration for the Italian- American Community, which may be removed from the calendar of the NYC Board of Education by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Commissioner Meisha Ross Por.
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