New York State to Officially End Columbus Day?
Is Columbus Day going to be officially off of the calendar in 2023? Are we overdue to change the longtime-standing Columbus Day to something else? New York is in the process of approving a bill to green-light the change.
The first recorded celebration of Columbus Day in the United States took place on October 12, 1792.
Every time that there is a bill proposed in New York, you can see what the proposal is. This proposal is to change the designation of the public holiday of Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day. Here is the summary of changes to the name of the Day, according to the New York State website:
Christopher Columbus did not discover America. Indigenous People's Day reimagines Columbus Day and changes a celebration of colonialism into an opportunity to reveal historical truths about the genocide and oppression of indigenous people in the Americas, to organize against current injustices and to celebrate indigenous resistance.
Right now it is in committee, the second step to becoming a Bill in New York State. People often argue around this time of the year over whether or not the name should be changed. Some people say that it should be changed because historically Christopher Columbus wasn't a great guy. The other side of people doesn't want it to be changed because it has been this way for hundreds of years.