Will Columbus Day Finally Fall in CPS?
By Jim Vail
The fight to stop celebrating Christopher Columbus Day in the Chicago Public Schools took another step forward when Sarah Dennis told the Chicago Board of Education (CBOE) on Wednesday that it is possible to rename the holiday for Chicago Public School students Indigenous People's Day.
Dennis told the board members at their monthly meeting that Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Superintendent Tony Smith said the issue to change the Columbus Day celebration in the public schools lies with the school board.
Two years ago my fourth grade students from Hammond School spoke to the school board and said what a horrible man Columbus was and that they wanted his name no longer celebrated and replaced to honor the Native Americans. Chicago BOE President Frank Clark told the students, after commending their presentation, that his hands were tied because it is up to the state to change the holiday.
However, Dennis told the board that already Evanston and Oak Park school districts changed Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day.
"Illinois School Code 24-2-b, states: "A school board is eligible to apply for waivers and modifications" as long as [you hold a public hearing]."
"How do we proceed to ensure ANOTHER generation of CPS children aren't miseducated about a murderous, rapist thief," Dennis told the board during her speech. "Please respond."
Dennis told Second City Teachers that after she said those final words, the board was silent.
"So I think I said,'What's next?' Nothing," she said. "I repeated, 'So, what's next?' A man asked me to sit."
Dennis is an adjunct professor from Loyola, who is an anti-bias/anti-racism consultant, and a CPS graduate of the Franklin Fine Arts Center in 1993.
The story of Christopher Columbus is the story of the American tragedy, when European settlers came to this continent in search of gold, slaves and other riches. Columbus was particularly brutal, forcing the natives to find gold, and for those who didn't work hard enough, cutting off their hands to wear around their necks. He bragged about raping the women in his diaries, fed Indians to their dogs and brought back some slaves to Spain. So why celebrate a monster?
Columbus is a part of Chicago history - there's a Columbus Day Parade, Columbus Drive and Columbus holiday and the 1893 Columbian World's Fair that earned a star on the Chicago flag celebrated the 400th anniversary of his disastrous expedition to the Americas.
The fight to slowly erase the horror of this celebration started out West where the Indians were forced to relocate once the white men and women and children took their land after the Mayflower ship arrived with English Pilgrims seeking a new life.
Several states out West do not celebrate Columbus Day but Indigenous People's Day. There were calls for the Columbus statue in NY City to come tumbling down after the disaster in Charlottesville last year where a protester died in clashes with nationalists demanding a Confederate statue be removed. President Trump who first defended his racist followers relented after it became a huge problem. The city council voted to have the statues of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson removed.
Here in Chicago my students started a petition at the school to replace Columbus Day, spoke to the local school council, the Chicago board of education and Ald. George Cardenas on the SW Side. Last year the Chicago Teachers Union passed a resolution to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day.
The Chicago City Council passed a law last year to officially celebrate Indigenous People's Day simultaneously on Columbus Day. The Italian lobby still fights to celebrate the monster based on so-called tradition and heritage.
Dennis said after she spoke at the school board, she spoke to CPS Chief Janice Jackson.
"I think this was her quote, 'We are not closed off.' So I asked what would she suggest. She basically said they need to hear from more folks. Then I spoke with a Network Face Manager who said to get signatures (parents/teachers/students). She suggested I/we/volunteers attend the Network Back to School Bashes to get signatures of parents/children."
Dennis said she is also interested is getting an online petition started.
So students, parents, teachers and all concerned citizens who want to teach the children right and make our celebrations right, let's make this happen!
No Columbus Day.
Yes Indigenous People's Day!
By Jim Vail
 |
| Could the Columbus Day celebration in CPS being nearing the end? |
The fight to stop celebrating Christopher Columbus Day in the Chicago Public Schools took another step forward when Sarah Dennis told the Chicago Board of Education (CBOE) on Wednesday that it is possible to rename the holiday for Chicago Public School students Indigenous People's Day.
Dennis told the board members at their monthly meeting that Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Superintendent Tony Smith said the issue to change the Columbus Day celebration in the public schools lies with the school board.
Two years ago my fourth grade students from Hammond School spoke to the school board and said what a horrible man Columbus was and that they wanted his name no longer celebrated and replaced to honor the Native Americans. Chicago BOE President Frank Clark told the students, after commending their presentation, that his hands were tied because it is up to the state to change the holiday.
However, Dennis told the board that already Evanston and Oak Park school districts changed Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day.
"Illinois School Code 24-2-b, states: "A school board is eligible to apply for waivers and modifications" as long as [you hold a public hearing]."
 |
| Sarah Dennis, center in white shirt, spoke out against celebrating Columbus Day. |
"How do we proceed to ensure ANOTHER generation of CPS children aren't miseducated about a murderous, rapist thief," Dennis told the board during her speech. "Please respond."
Dennis told Second City Teachers that after she said those final words, the board was silent.
"So I think I said,'What's next?' Nothing," she said. "I repeated, 'So, what's next?' A man asked me to sit."
Dennis is an adjunct professor from Loyola, who is an anti-bias/anti-racism consultant, and a CPS graduate of the Franklin Fine Arts Center in 1993.
The story of Christopher Columbus is the story of the American tragedy, when European settlers came to this continent in search of gold, slaves and other riches. Columbus was particularly brutal, forcing the natives to find gold, and for those who didn't work hard enough, cutting off their hands to wear around their necks. He bragged about raping the women in his diaries, fed Indians to their dogs and brought back some slaves to Spain. So why celebrate a monster?
Columbus is a part of Chicago history - there's a Columbus Day Parade, Columbus Drive and Columbus holiday and the 1893 Columbian World's Fair that earned a star on the Chicago flag celebrated the 400th anniversary of his disastrous expedition to the Americas.
The fight to slowly erase the horror of this celebration started out West where the Indians were forced to relocate once the white men and women and children took their land after the Mayflower ship arrived with English Pilgrims seeking a new life.
Several states out West do not celebrate Columbus Day but Indigenous People's Day. There were calls for the Columbus statue in NY City to come tumbling down after the disaster in Charlottesville last year where a protester died in clashes with nationalists demanding a Confederate statue be removed. President Trump who first defended his racist followers relented after it became a huge problem. The city council voted to have the statues of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson removed.
Here in Chicago my students started a petition at the school to replace Columbus Day, spoke to the local school council, the Chicago board of education and Ald. George Cardenas on the SW Side. Last year the Chicago Teachers Union passed a resolution to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day.
The Chicago City Council passed a law last year to officially celebrate Indigenous People's Day simultaneously on Columbus Day. The Italian lobby still fights to celebrate the monster based on so-called tradition and heritage.
 |
| CPS Chief Janice Jackson is open to ending Columbus Day for CPS students. |
Dennis said after she spoke at the school board, she spoke to CPS Chief Janice Jackson.
"I think this was her quote, 'We are not closed off.' So I asked what would she suggest. She basically said they need to hear from more folks. Then I spoke with a Network Face Manager who said to get signatures (parents/teachers/students). She suggested I/we/volunteers attend the Network Back to School Bashes to get signatures of parents/children."
Dennis said she is also interested is getting an online petition started.
So students, parents, teachers and all concerned citizens who want to teach the children right and make our celebrations right, let's make this happen!
No Columbus Day.
Yes Indigenous People's Day!
No comments:
Post a Comment