The second Monday of October marks Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This holiday acts to commemorate the histories, philosophies, and cultures of indigenous peoples. It is also a counter-celebration to Columbus Day, which continues to be a federal holiday despite its glorification of a genocidal slave trader. For many, the decision to celebrate Columbus only serves to further reinforce a violent history of colonization and sanitize the realities of Columbus’s legacy. Instead, we can take this day to celebrate diversity, inclusion, and the preservation of cultural traditions. The U.S. has a long history of denying the realities of its racist and genocidal roots. Today can also be a chance to bring further awareness to this history, for, as James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
