SmartHERNews

Columbus Day SCOOP: A Forgotten Story

10.09.2023 - By Jenna LeePlay

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A new look at a 100+ year-old holiday.   0:00: Taking a closer look at Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day.   3:40: When did we start celebrating Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day?   6:25: The line that sparked today's Special Report: " In fact, Columbus Day was created by President Harrison in 1892 in response to the anti-Italian motivated lynching of 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans in 1891" (President Biden's Proclamation on Columbus Day, 2022).   8:27: Broadly speaking, what was going on in America during this time?   12:01: Zooming in on New Orleans, the lynching of 11 Italian Americans in 1891 and what followed.   21:00: In 2019, the first female Mayor in New Orleans apologizes on behalf of the city to the families impacted by this lynching.   24:00: Sharing a personal story, reflecting on the press, acknowledging different stories at the same time and why it matters.   28:12: Conclusion: "So I stand here with you today, and I issue this formal apology for ugliness that is 128 years old and I ask you to continue to stand with me against anti-immigrant violence, against division, and to stand up for what I've coined, a city of 'Yes,' and for the idea that we have a responsibility to be inclusive, to be intentional and to be the kind of people that our children are not apologizing for 128 years from now. That's what this is about." – New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, April 12, 2019.                   Message Leah Grainery        

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