It’s Tuesday, October 12th and today in 1492, a sailor on board the Pinta was the first of Christopher Columbus’ men to see what would become known as “the New World”.  For years, American educators would mark this day as a heroic one- a day of discovery that would lay the groundwork for the establishment of the United States.  But, in recent decades, the way that we teach about Christopher Columbus has shifted away from the Euro-centric tale of exploration and bravery to paint a more realistic picture of Columbus as a harsh leader responsible for the genocide of the Taino people.