IAOVC wants these state politicians to withdraw this misguided legislation that insults Italian American heritage and culture.

NORTVALE, NJ, US, February 6, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Italian American One Voice Coalition (“IAOVC”), America’s largest independent Italian American anti-bias organization, denounced legislation just introduced by Tennessee State Senator London Lamar and State Representative Joe Towns to cancel Columbus Day.

The legislation seeks to eliminate the Columbus Day holiday and replace it with a holiday to celebrate “Super Bowl Monday.”

“This is just the latest attack on Italian American heritage and culture by two misguided legislators who should know better," says IAOVC President, Andre DiMino. “We continue to fight these foolhardy attempts to rewrite history against those who insult this nation's 25-million Italian Americans.”

IAOVC urges everyone to contact these state politicians to object to this legislation and demand it be withdrawn. Email Senator London Lamar at brandon.puttbrese@capitol.tn.gov AND call her at (615) 741-2509. Email Representative Joe Towns at rep.joe.towns@capitol.tn.gov AND call him at (615) 741-2189.

The Italian American One Voice Coalition is a nationwide group of thousands of members whose sole purpose is to defend Italian American heritage and culture. In its 30-years history IAOVC has fought back and has defeated repeated attempts to cancel Columbus Day and/or remove Columbus statues around the nation.

IAOVC was instrumental in the recent Columbus Day controversy in Toms River, New Jersey where the school board eliminated Columbus Day and just reinstated it after backlash from IAOVC, other Italian American organizations and members of the public. IAOVC’s landmark federal litigation against West Orange, NJ and its Mayor for violating Italian American civil rights by removing the Columbus monument is ongoing.

Columbus Day, a US Federal holiday, is revered by generations of Italian Americans as an atonement and apology to Italian Americans who were subjected to abject discrimination, denigration and lynchings – the largest single-day lynching in America of 11 Italian Americans occurred in New Orleans in 1891. In 1892, then President Benjamin Harrison declared that the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the new world be celebrated as Columbus Day to counter the negative treatment of Italian Americans so prevalent in those times.

IAOVC is different from all other Italian American organizations in that its sole focus and objective is to foster education to fight bias, stereotyping and discrimination against Italian Americans. IAOVC is an IRS-Registered 501(c)3 non-profit.

To support IAOVC’s efforts at defending and educating about Columbus and Italian American civil rights visit iaovc.org/donate.

IAOVC membership is open to individuals and all Italian American organizations to join together as a coalition defending and celebrating Italian American heritage and culture. To join visit iaovc.org/membership.

Andre DiMino
Italian American ONE VOICE Coalition
andre@iaovc.org
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