The Fight for Pittsburgh’s Columbus Statue
The lawsuit between Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) and the city of Pittsburgh regarding the fate of the Schenley Park Columbus statue is in the discovery process, and a rally was recently held at the historical site where protestors demanded that the tarps be removed from the monument.
Judge John McVay, who is presiding over the suit, asked each side to submit a settlement proposal last year in the hopes that we and the city could reach a compromise.
We proposed to offer significant funding for the development and construction of an Indigenous Peoples’ statue that could be placed near the Columbus statue. We also offered to provide substantial funding for the creation of a screening space where the city’s residents could present documentaries and films on culture and history.
The city, led at the time by Mayor Bill Peduto, rejected our proposal, and the city’s attorneys refused to submit a settlement proposal of their own.
The current administration, led by Mayor Ed Gainey, has, to date, not submitted a settlement proposal.
Uproar in NYC
N.Y. State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D) came under fire last week when she told an LGBT organization that the towering Columbus monument in Columbus Circle should be taken down.
Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition and co-organized NYC’s Columbus Day parade, was appalled by Biaggi’s remarks, especially since her late grandfather, U.S. Rep. Mario Biaggi, was a steadfast supporter of Italian American history and heritage.
Actor Chazz Palminteri also took issue with Biaggi abandoning Columbus.
“Columbus Day is a day of pride for all Italian Americans and the statue of Christoper Columbus will remain today, tomorrow, and forever,” the “Bronx Tale” playwright and “Bullets over Broadway” actor told The New York Post.
Syracuse Mayor Drops Six Figures
In March, New York Supreme Court Justice Gerard Neri blocked Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh from removing the city’s Columbus statue. The Columbus Monument Corp. spearheaded the lawsuit to save the statue, and Mayor Walsh has pledged to appeal the ruling.
The Columbus Monument Corp. estimated that the city spent $100,000 during the lawsuit, and would likely need to spend $100,000 more to conduct the appeal.
Syracuse’s taxpayers should take note.
Baltimore Searches for Solution
A Maryland sculptor has completed a replica of Baltimore’s Christopher Columbus statue, and a local group plans to bring it back to the city’s Little Italy neighborhood.
The original statue, which was unveiled by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, was tossed into Baltimore’s harbor by a mob of protestors in 2020.
In the spirit of compromise, Italian American groups also want to build a statue of a nameless Italian immigrant that would stand at the site of the toppled Columbus statue.
The Return of Chicago’s Columbus Statues?
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in a meeting on Monday indicated she wouldn’t go along with her 30-member Monuments Committee if they introduce a recommendation to permanently sideline the city’s pair of uprooted Columbus statues, abc7 Chicago reports.
Lightfoot expects to receive the recommendation in the coming days, which will likely also call for the removal of the city’s Balbo statue.
“I’ve been very clear. I do not believe in erasing history. I think you’ve got to put it in a proper context. I think you’ve got to honor the entirety of that history,” the mayor said Monday.
Meanwhile, a federal pro-Columbus lawsuit in Philadelphia is still underway.
Our History
Columbus Day has become synonymous with Italian Heritage Day, the time when we remember the sacrifices made by our parents and grandparents, and the contributions Italian Americans have made in the U.S.
The time-honored Columbus Day parades began in the late 1800s as Italian immigrants attempted to create a sense of self-esteem and dignity during a period where they were subjected to lynchings, bigotry and prejudice throughout the country.
Columbus’s journey launched 500 years of immigration to America, attracting peoples from throughout the world seeking a better life for their families — this is the spirit we champion and are fighting to preserve, and this is what the Columbus statues stand for.
Our Stance
The Italian-American community has always supported the designation of an Indigenous Peoples Day as it is most rightly and most justly deserved.
What we don’t support is the agenda of those who want to rewrite our history, and in the process, diminish our traditions by targeting the 15th century explorer.
Make a pledge and become a member of Italian Sons and Daughters of America today.
