Should Westwood Abandon Columbus Day?

On October 8, children enrolled in Westwood Public Schools do not have school owing to Columbus Day. However, states and cities throughout the country, most recently Somerville, MA, have opted to rename "Columbus Day" "Indigenous People's Day." Should Westwood join them?

The arguments in favor of "Indigenous People's Day" lie in the fact that Christopher Columbus promoted genocide. To quote Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone in his statement "More of us know now that even during his life Columbus was stripped of his governorship of the Indies due to brutality, tyranny, and incompetence. He participated in the early stages of what became a genocide. On the island of Hispaniola (modern day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) where Columbus established his first colony, chroniclers of that era detail slavery, torture, rape, and dismemberment. Observance of that loss and respect for the people who suffered it is not a lot to ask from those of us whose families migrated here in its wake.

Since Columbus Day was first established in 1934, our understanding of history and how history is taught have changed. Students now learn both about the colonization of the Americas and the atrocities carried out against Indigenous people." All these arguments are in addition to the plain argument that Columbus was not the first to discover America, being preceded by nomadic Asians and Leif Erickson.

Keeping the day "Columbus Day," on the other hand, finds its argument in statements such as this quote the from the CEO of the Knights of Columbus "He was a man ahead of his time, who brought two worlds together and began the process that led to the founding of this country. It is a testament to Americans’ commitment to a fair reading of history that the explorer’s popularity has endured...." Similarly, many people believe that attacks on Christopher Columbus are attacks on Western Civilization.

Personally, I believe that changing the name to "Indigenous People's Day," and encouraging a curriculum at all learning levels which celebrates all cultures, and not just Western Civilization, is important to ensure that Westwood Schools produce students who are ready for the modern world. To call the day off students receive that is to teach about that which is morally just and does not rely on myth.

What do you think?

Please email me with any story ideas, events, etc. I want to know what my fellow Westwoodians are doing!
The views expressed here are the views of myself, your Patch Mayor, Heather T. Ford and not Westwood Patch.

Photo credit: thesuccess on Morguefile