On October 12, 1911 a Christopher Columbus statue was dedicated to a crowd of 3,000 people, on the lawns of the Walla Walla County Courthouse. It was paid for entirely by subscriptions of the local Italian community, who were especially proud of their relation to Columbus. For years, we have celebrated an explorer who is responsible for enslavement, theft, and the genocide of indigenous peoples. As a nation, we continue to praise a man who stole land and continually chose to dehumanize native people. Why should we have a statue dedicated to a man who stands as a symbol for the violence of 500 years of colonial oppression at the hands of European explorers. Historically, Italian Americans have been a people group that have been discriminated against, and they often saw Columbus day as a way for them to celebrate how they were able to overcome these hardships. Many Italian Americans support the shift towards making Columbus day to Indigenous People's day, while still finding a way to celebrate their own heritage and ability to overcome the discrimination they faced. It is important that we recognize the realities behind the history of Columbus day, and the genocide and mass displacement that took place as a result of colonization. It seems obvious that a statue dedicated to Columbus is inappropriate, and should have been removed long before now. We are writing with the hope that you will take action on this pressing issue, particularly amidst the current climate surrounding issues of systemic racial injustice. We are demanding the removal of the Columbus statue. Can we count on you to take action? 

Questions??

Contact Samantha Aparicio- removewallacolumbus@gmail.com 

Removal of Columbus Statues Elsewhere: 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/10/us/christopher-columbus-statues-down-trnd/index.html​

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/us/christopher-columbus-statue-boston-richmond.html​

https://abcnews.go.com/US/christopher-columbus-statue-debate-rises-controversial-statues-fall/story?id=71172075