Did Bad Weather Put a Chill on Columbus Day in Denver?

October 2009

Ridolfo_Ghirlandaio_ColumbusThe freezing weather seemed to chill both Columbus Day participants and protesters on Saturday. Just three floats, including a replica of Christopher Columbus' flagship, the Santa Maria, made it through the procession in downtown Denver, as a handful of opponents, including Terry Burnsed, a faculty member at Metropolitan State College of Denver, protested the celebration as a "racist" event that celebrates the oppression of indigenous peoples (via The Denver Post). Such words aren't limited to Denver's streets. As The Associated Press notes, many teachers are attempting to provide more details about Columbus' activities after he arrived in the Caribbean, including the suffering of indigenous populations. "You don't hear people using the world 'discovery' anymore like they used to," says James Kracht, of the Texas A&M College of Education and Human Development. "'Columbus discovers America.' Because how could he discover America if there were already people living here?" Meanwhile, in Tennessee, Columbus Day is celebrated the day after Thanksgiving so that residents can enjoy an extra-long weekend, writes The Wall Street Journal.