Columbus Citizens Foundation Condemns Destruction Of Columbus Statues Nationwide, Urges Peaceful Dialogue And Equality For All

NEW YORK, June 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the destruction and damage to several prominent statues of Christopher Columbus nationwide, the Columbus Citizens Foundation released a statement condemning the destruction of these monuments to Italian-American history.

President of the Columbus Citizens Foundation, Marian Pardo, had this to say: 

"Columbus Citizens Foundation stands for the civil rights and respect of all residents of America regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, or anything else that hurtfully divides rather than positively unites all of our interests. We abhor and are outraged by the murder of George Floyd and the mistreatment of any person on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity or any other divisive identification. Ours has always been a positive agenda, especially in the celebration of Columbus as a symbol of accomplishment, which is emblematic of Italian Americans' own long fought and continuing battle with prejudice in American society. We have all experienced it, myself included. The latest assaults on our symbols of accomplishment are part of that prejudice.

We decry the news of the destruction and potential removal of Columbus statues throughout the United States. Removing Columbus statues is to be complicit in denying a real struggle for identity - which is an ally to current protests, not anathema to them.

Through this public statement, we wish to express our support of peaceful protest and our support of the civil rights of all, regardless or ethnicity, race, religion or any identification that can be used to divide us from one another."

Columbus Citizens Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the celebration of Italian heritage and the creation of opportunities for younger Italian Americans, organizes the Columbus Day Parade in New York City.

More About Columbus Citizens Foundation:
Columbus Citizens Foundation is a non-profit organization in New York City committed to fostering an appreciation of Italian-American heritage and achievement. The Foundation, through a broad range of philanthropic and cultural activities, provides opportunities for advancement to deserving Italian-American students through various scholarship and grant programs. The Foundation organizes New York City's annual Columbus Celebration and Columbus Day Parade, which has celebrated Italian-American heritage on New York's Fifth Avenue since 1929. For more information, contact [email protected]

PRESS CONTACT:
Jefferson Wilson
Director of Marketing & Communications
Columbus Citizens Foundation
Phone: (212) 249-9923 x242
Fax: (212) 737-4413
[email protected]

SOURCE Columbus Citizens Foundation

Related Links

http://www.columbuscitizensfd.org

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