“In fourteen hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Those lyrics are sung in many classrooms, but what that song fails to admit is the travesty that came after Columbus stepped foot on the soil he claimed: murder, rape and pillaging of land. The truth is in the details omitted by history books read in schools.
And in 2015, the federal government still marks that travesty as Columbus Day.
Thousands of kids are home from school, and government agencies are closed. But for what? Why is it that we’re still celebrating the day, when we should be celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day?
No one on social media wants to hear about Columbus Day, so they’re turning the conversation to something that should be celebrated: the true founding of our nation, by people who sacrificed their lives and still carry on their traditions.
If you take a look at the hashtag #IndigenousPeoplesDay, you’ll see a plethora of photos posted by people who agree that Columbus Day shouldn't be a thing anymore.
Indigenous Peoples Day should be honored, and if there's one thing President Barack Obama does before he leaves office, it should be to try to make it a national holiday.