Christopher Columbus murdered, exploited, oppressed, and trafficked thousands of human beings. These were indigenous people of our land that he has been given wrongful credit for discovering. None of his actions deserve honor, let alone the same national recognition as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. have in this country.
It is time for America to choose a path that falls on the right and just side of history. Christopher Columbus has no place of honor in that story.
We ask President Obama to revoke the annual, federal recognition of the second Monday in October as Columbus Day.
We further ask that the administration work with the Native American community to develop a national holiday that recognizes the history and heritage of the indigenous people of this land. Thank you.