Columbus Day Is Done At Melrose Public Schools

MELROSE, MA — Columbus Day will no longer be recognized at Melrose Public Schools.

The School Committee eliminated the controversial holiday from the district's calendar, unanimously voting Tuesday night to replace it with Indigenous Peoples' Day on the second Monday of each October beginning with this year, Oct. 11.

Columbus Day will remain a federal holiday — the School Committee nor the city can change that. But the district made it clear what side of history it wants to celebrate and which it doesn't.

"My hope is that this recognition is one step to not only acknowledge the impact of colonialism, genocide and racism that Native peoples have experienced and continue to face, but also to celebrate the resilience, culture and contributions of Indigenous Peoples," McAndrew said in a letter over the weekend to City Solicitor Robert Van Campen and Assistant City Solicitor Amy Lindquist.

The School Committee's efforts, which started late last summer, have put wind in the sails of the city. Mayor Paul Brodeur on Wednesday issued a proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday of October.

After a misstep and a delay in recent months, the School's Committee's decision seemed inevitable.

An August vote to add Indigenous Peoples' Day to the calendar was unanimous, though the decision to have it share the day with the name of the man responsible for the deaths and oppression of scores of Indigenous people left a sour taste for many.

McAndrew in September moved to cut Columbus Day altogether, an attempt to address an admitted oversight in initially adding Indigenous Peoples' Day alongside Columbus Day. But her motion was tabled through the rest of the year on a 4-3 vote after some members wanted more advance notice for the public and for the City Council to weigh in on the matter in a broader sense. Still, no one spoke in opposition of dropping Columbus Day.

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook.