Columbus Day? Indigenous Peoples Day? Italian Pride Day?
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2026 Blog #36
October 12, 2026
Columbus Day? Indigenous Peoples Day? Italian Pride Day?
When I was young and growing up in Jersey City, I regularly saw a statue of Christopher Columbus in Journal Square. The statue has moved since I have lived there. Now it is still in Journal Square but a bit set back from Kennedy Blvd. A new flower garden has been added to adorn the statue. I do hope to get back to Jersey City and see it in person not just in photographs.
My world was quite small as a child. I had the image of Christopher Columbus riding up the Hudson River and landing in Jersey City. I sang the song “in 1492” along with the rest of my school class. Of course, we schoolboys had other words that we substituted for the original ones. We made sure that the teachers did not hear them. It was years later that I began to learn the real story of Columbus. His story wasn’t a matter of controversy in those years but as time has gone by, I have become aware that not everyone celebrates Columbus Day.
I first learned that Columbus was controversial during a high school trip to Spain. Local teachers explained to us why there was resentment in Spain against Americans. This teacher explained that in the United States, we credit Columbus with discovering America. In reality, the teacher explained, it was a Spanish crew that brought Columbus to America. Should Columbus Day be celebrated by Italians, or should it be a celebration of those with Spanish descent? In America, there are few people who immigrated from Spain. How many people would be celebrating this if it was a Spanish holiday?
It was in high school that I learned that the Vikings most likely discovered the new world, and I wondered why we didn’t have a “Viking Day” to celebrate their arrival in the Americas. Perhaps this didn’t happen because there were insufficient Scandinavians in our nation much like there are not enough Spanish folks to make this into a Spanish-American holiday.
While living in Hoboken, I met some Italian folks who surprised me. They didn’t care about Columbus, but they did want Columbus Day as an Italian Pride Day. These people, or their immigrant parents, were from Molfetta Italy. The folks that I knew from Molfetta claimed that Columbus was from Genoa and the people of Genoa were looked down upon by those from Molfetta. I was surprised to learn this as I thought all Italian Americans loved Columbus. Apparently, there were regional tensions.
Most recently, there is a movement among Indigenous Peoples to declare this day, “Indigenous Peoples Day.” These folks have felt the results of the Europeans’ arrival, the loss of land and sovereignty. The indigenous have also been enraged by the writings of Columbus who spoke of subjugating natives or committing genocide against them. For our indigenous, honoring Columbus is a hurtful insult.
So, what, if anything, should we celebrate on October 12? Might we celebrate “Discover the Americas Day?” Much bad came to the Natives and Africans from that, but good things have come from this as well.
Residents of the New World brought the ancient concept of Greek Democracy into the modern world. We participated in the ending of the holocaust in Europe. Our scientist invented the Salk vaccine. It was our scientists who first invented the COVID vaccine. Millions who fled foreign wars, famines and oppression found refuge here. We have been a blessing to them.
Yes, we have been a scourge for natives and Africans, but great things have also come from this new world.
Today, I’m celebrating “Discover the Americas Day.” Many great things have come from it even though we have done some damage along the way. We still have time to make up for that.
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