To the editor,

Over the last decade, Columbus Day has become a source of outrage among politicians and activists who claim it was established to celebrate white supremacy and the genocide of Native Americans. This led to a nationwide effort to replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. As a first-generation American of Sicilian (southern Italian) descent, I find such accusations reprehensible. 

The reality is that Columbus Day was formally established as a national holiday in 1892 by President Benjamin Harrison to celebrate the contributions of Italian immigrants, and was an attempt to conduct damage control in the wake of the largest, single mass-lynching in U.S. history.

In 1891, New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessy was assassinated while traveling home after work. This led to speculation that Italian organized crime was responsible. As a result, 19 men were rounded up based solely on their Italian ethnicity and placed in police custody. When the subsequent trial for nine of the men ended in acquittals due to a lack of evidence, a mob stormed the jail where the accused were being held and lynched 11 of the 19 men in custody. This injustice occurred at a time when anti-Italian sentiment was at a boiling point due to large numbers of Italian immigrants who moved to the southern states in order to replace black labor following the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Given their low social status, Italians were routinely subjected to racism, maltreatment and violence.

Following the 1891 lynchings, the anger in Italian communities across the country was palpable, and also caused a diplomatic rift between the United States and Italy. In order to make amends, President Harrison created Columbus Day to honor Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World and to celebrate Italian heritage.

So, why am I telling you all of this? That chapter is closed, but as we approach the mid-term elections next month, it illustrates how politicians and special interest groups are constantly trying to divide us and manipulate us against each other. The goal is to create envy, division and hatred among the electorate to gain power. It is evil and should not be tolerated by any community. 

I strongly suggest you do your own research whenever the media, politicians, celebrities, and/or influencers try to push a talking point or agenda item. If they are using boiler plate language and their own ideologically aligned sources, that usually is a good indicator they are intentionally adding spin to the facts. If they claim a bill or study said “X,” research it and read it yourself. They are counting on you to take their word for it. Knowledge is power. Do not make it easy for them!

Until the next, may God bless you!

Joe Guagenti

Ellsworth