Oct. 12 marks the federal holiday of Columbus Day — or, if you live in jurisdictions like the District of Columbia, Indigenous Peoples Day. The debate over honoring Christopher Columbus as a consequential historical figure, vs. decrying Columbus as a driving force behind the genocide of Native Americans and transatlantic slavery, returned to Philadelphia this year. The city’s Art Commission voted in August to remove the Columbus statue from Marconi Plaza following protests and conflict at the site, including weapon-carrying vigilantes who claimed to be protecting the statue in June.
While Columbus Day remains a holiday in Philly, the debate rages on. The Inquirer asked a founding board member of Indigenous Peoples’ Day Philly Inc. and a Philadelphian invested in the tradition: Is it time to drop Columbus Day?
