Columbus Day

For some reason Columbus Day boils my blood more so than any other 'holiday'. Intellectually I have always known the 'truth' about this day. It never really hit me though fully until about aprox 7 years ago when I walked into my sons elementary school class and they were teaching about this 'great man'. My son already was acquainted with the truth via his home education yet to witness a room full of black and brown youth being exposed to a mass murderer sent me over the edge. There was this Jewish boy who I grew up with, David. I remember him getting his after school Jewish education and how the public school system reaffirmed his religious holidays. They wouldn't tolerate their children being honored as a great man NOR would they tolerate anyone else teaching that he was a positive great man, ESPECIALLY not in the public school system.

Since that day I have worked with a small group of parents and instituted a 'Columbus Day Teach in" on this day. Right now we are rocking at 3 schools and still pushing it to be formally adopted by the New Haven public school system. You'd be surprised on how many children show up on their 'day off' and how many parents come to learn with them.

The day didn't stop with that. I went to a Pow Wow that affirmed the Original Man's ownership of this land (yes there is alot to be done with kicking the tenants out of the 'house). Also I attended one of the illest protests that I have been a part of in a long time. I rolled with some MURDEROUS Chicanas who weren't about to let their voices be silenced. I've been to some where members of the 1st Nations have chained their selves to Plymouth Rock, been in the path of pepper spray, and more than one 'mano a mano'. This one ranked up there with all of them. It is especially hardcore in New Heaven in that it is the headquarters of the Knights of Columbus. He is held in high regard by the Italian community. It becomes a sticky issue also when you are dealing with recent 85% 'latino' immigrants whom are Catholic.

With all of this one may wonder why 'protest' anyway?

The 1-36 or English Lesson #C-1 implores us to speak in plain English to the people so that they can see the foundation. The 1-36 speaks of specifically of the so called African-Americans experience in coming to the wilderness of Noth America via the Maafa. When the degree is taught and absorbed by different ethnic groups of Original People I encourage them to add an additional layer and reflect on their own history personally and historically. How did they get from point A to point B? Who was THEIR trader? What was the vehicle they utilized? Was it colonization, genocide? I saw the degree manifest throughout the whole day as people just chose to tell the truth. They chose to speak their own language. They chose to reclaim their names. At the protest I saw various 1st Nations state the indigenous names of their homelands. I had teens from the hood rolling with me on some we ain't going to let you celebrate no murder without us having something to say about it. We do this to build bridges between all Original communities because it is long over due for us to stop being played against one another. I saw Black, Brown and Yellow rocking together. With that we can learn more about one another and start earning why they want us to think we are all different and add on to those particles that are the same.

If you want to add on with your own knowledge about Christopher Columbus check out the following books

"They Came Before Columbus"
"The Columbus Conspiracy"
"1491"
"Atlantis in the America"