Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition Galvanizes Widespread Opposition to NEA Resolution to Eliminate Columbus Day

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Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition iaovc.org

Task Force Coalesces to Demand NEA Overturn Anti-Italian Resolution

BLOOMFIELD, NJ, USA, August 12, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition Galvanizes Widespread Opposition to NEA Resolution to Eliminate Columbus Day
Task Force Coalesces to Demand NEA Overturn Anti-Italian Resolution

Bloomfield, NJ - The Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition (“IAOVC”), a nationwide coalition of anti-bias activists, has assembled a Task Force, comprised of a wide array of Italian American organizations, to demand that the National Education Association (“NEA”) overturn its Resolution, passed at the NEA National Convention last month, to eliminate Columbus Day.

“As a former teacher and Italian American I am outraged that the NEA launched this attack on Columbus Day, using their pulpit to poison the minds of children with the overblown, false, non-factual narrative about the history of Columbus,” stated Dr. Manny Alfano, Founder and President of IAOVC. “This is not only an attack on Italian Americans it is an attack against all Western culture, using Columbus as a figurehead. This is Anti-Italian and Anti-American.”

IAOVC launched the Task Force with the solitary mandate to object to and demand that the NEA overturn its Anti-Columbus Resolution. This is the NEA Resolution:

“The National Education Association believes that the history of colonization needs to be recognized and acknowledged in every state. To do so, the Association believes that the name of the current holiday known as “Columbus Day” should be renamed and recognized as “Indigenous People’s Day” in recognition of the early indigenous peoples who were living in the United States before colonization by European settlers.”

“Columbus Day is an incredibly important day to Italian Americans as it was instituted to counteract the discrimination and denigration of Italian immigrants and to celebrate the many contributions to the USA made by those immigrants and their descendants,” stated Andre DiMino, IAOVC Executive Board Member. “There is a plethora of false and outrageous rhetoric about Columbus being used to justify this attack on our heritage and civil rights. If the real aim of the NEA is to truly recognize Indigenous People, do so on another day and we will celebrate along with them.”

Task Force members have all pledged to fight this NEA attack on the civil rights and heritage of Italian Americans by adopting a counter-resolution to NEA’s resolution. The Task Force’s resolution concludes:

WHEREAS, The Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition (IAOVC), on behalf of its member Italian American organizations and individual members across the country, has formed a Task Force to defend the civil rights of all Italian Americans to celebrate their heritage on this important federally-designated holiday by opposing the NEA’s campaign to eliminate Columbus Day.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we hereby support and join IAOVC in defending the civil rights of our members, and all Italian Americans across the country, to celebrate our heritage and culture on the Columbus Day federal holiday, and preserve the second Monday in October throughout America as Columbus Day by opposing the NEA campaign to eliminate Columbus Day.

IAOVC asks all to support this effort by emailing NEA President Lily Eskelsen García at leskelsen@nea.org and to call NEA Headquarters at 202-833-4000 to object to its Anti-Columbus Day resolution and have it overturned.

If an Italian American organization would like to join the Task Force and participate in this effort email info@iaovc.org.

IAOVC’s sole focus and objective is to fight bias, stereotyping and discrimination against Italian Americans. It is the only national Italian American organization with this exclusive mandate. IAOVC’s stated mission is to “…secure the rightful representation of Americans of Italian origin and of all peoples whose paths toward social equality have been impeded. The powers of intellect, wisdom and due process of law will be brought to bear on all inequities.”

IAOVC issues a regular email newsletter, “The Alfano Digest,” to over 5,000 individuals and Italian American organizations nationwide. Written and compiled by IAOVC founder and President, Dr. Manny Alfano, the Digest issues alerts on instances of bias, stereotyping, discrimination and defamation as well as activates the IAOVC nationwide network of “Defenders” who respond through calls, emails, social media, letters and demonstrations where necessary. The Alfano Digest also contains interesting and informative Italian American cultural and heritage news and information. To receive the Digest, email Dr. Alfano at mannyalfano@comcast.net.

To join or obtain more information on The Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition visit iaovc.org.

Andre DiMino
Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition
+1 201-739-6000
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