Why We Should Really Rename Columbus Day Already

As an abolitionist seeking justice, it is my duty to request that we rename Columbus Day to something else. Personally, I prefer the name “Woot! America’s Got the History Day!” for various reasons (which can be seen here). But really, what I care about is gloriously pivoting this holiday in a way that declares evil on this level cannot nor should be tolerated–then or now–in a manner that brings us together rather than separates us.

This is my question–as modern abolitionists, what is our role when it comes to public holidays, teaching history to our kids, and creating awareness to end human trafficking in the here and now? Does the past still affect today?

Introducing the Slaver, Christopher Columbus

Today is Columbus Day, a holiday in honor of a pretty notorious guy. He found himself in the Caribbean and proceeded to let his men (or give his men) local women to use, brought slaves back to Spain, and required impossible amounts of work from the indigenous populations. Through this slavery–both labor and sex trafficking–he killed off the whole population of one of the indigenous people groups he conquered.

You can read quotes from what he and his men wrote in 8 Myths and Atrocities About Christopher Columbus and Columbus Day, but I have found these vomit inducing facts from the History channel to children’s history books on slavery.

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Ironically, he was actually captured and arrested because he was just so vile (within a group of vile men), but then his king actually pardoned him and paid for him to go back to the Americas (so much for justice rendered)!

Instead of passively teaching our children that this is okay by leaving Columbus Day untouched, it is time we do something. After all, we are also trying to teach out kids that they can be agents of change to end human trafficking (get this first dialogue free to help you)!

Considering, I wrote an article on HuffPost for you to check out and hopefully, share. Here are some pieces of it.

The Glorious Case For Why Columbus Day Should Become Woot! America’s Got The History Day!

With both fanfare and fluster I’m making a case here and now for why we should change Columbus Day to “Woot! America Has The History Day!”

My kids can sing you a catchy little ditty about Columbus sailing to the Americas in 1492, on the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María. (Confession: Even I find myself humming it while doing the dishes, but we’ll keep that our little secret.) But this version of history shouldn’t be paramount to my children’s education as a song, let alone as a holiday.

Check out the rest of this post here:

The Glorious Case For Why Columbus Day Should Become Woot! America’s Got The History Day

Here is another snippet from this post:

Personally, I feel like I’ve bested Columbus with all the exploration stuff and yet I haven’t been bestowed an Elisa Day (a joyous celebration in which kids have three days weekends after cutting-out and coloring paper minivans to proudly place on the lower right half of their fridge).

Although, I also don’t make a habit of conquering the people I visit, and then enslaving, raping and murdering their families. If that is the type of explorer I have to become to get a holiday, I’m out.

I like to think, though, that the reason I haven’t been bestowed a U.S. holiday is less sinister—I just haven’t been exploring outside of the United States.

And just one more snippet to whet your appetite:

However, I can also see renaming Columbus Day as Indigenous People’s Day going topsy-turvy. Consider other protests of late (ahem, like standing vs. kneeling during the National Anthem). Too easily a message is lost when half the population feels the counter-option steals or devalues something.