A proposed Chicago City Council ordinance to rename Columbus Drive to Barack Obama Drive has sparked backlash from an Italian American group. rename Columbus Drive to Barack Obama Drive in the Windy City has faced criticism from an Italian American group.
Ron Onesti, president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA), criticized the proposed ordinance as “insensitive and unvetted” in a press release.
The proposed ordinance, introduced by Alderman Lamont Robinson on Wednesday, has sparked controversy.
In a post with Robinson, in a Twitter post linking to a story from The Chicago Tribune about the potential renaming, stated the importance of “honoring more Black men” through this renaming initiative.
“Chicago’s children should be able to see that they too can contribute to Black history & create a new tourist destination to boost Chicago tourism by highlighting where Black history was made,” Robinson’s post said.
In the JCCIA press release, Onesti acknowledged Alderman Robinson’s intention to honor a significant historic figure but raised concerns about the impact on the Italian American community.
Onesti suggested that it would be more appropriate to rename a portion of South Greenwood Avenue where the Obama residence is, or Stony Island Avenue where the Barack Obama Presidential Library is located.
According to The Chicago Sun-Times, Columbus Drive, originally called the Inner Drive, was renamed in 1933 in tribute to the explorer Christopher Columbus. previously Columbus is considered important to Italian Americans due to his Italian heritage, and Columbus Day is often an occasion for Italian Americans to celebrate their heritage.
However, there is also criticism of Columbus and the holiday, with some pointing to the negative consequences of his arrival in America and the subsequent enslavement of indigenous people in the Americas. Several states and cities now observe Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day.
The JCCIA describes itself as “a congress for the Chicagoland Italian American organizations and represents the community on a local, state, national and international level.”
The JCCIA describes A proposed Chicago City Council ordinance to rename Columbus Drive to Barack Obama Drive in the Windy City has drawn backlash from an Italian American group. Ron Onesti, president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA) called the proposed ordinance “insensitive and unvetted” in a press release. The proposed ordinance, sponsored by Alderman…
