In Chicago, Fight For Columbus In High Gear!

COPOMIAO President Basil Russo: the national Italian American community fully supports the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA) in its fight to preserve Columbus Drive in Chicago.

Last week, a freshman Chicago alderman, Lamont Robinson, took a familiar page from the anti-Columbus playbook when he proposed an ordinance that, if passed, would rename Columbus Drive to Barack Obama Drive.

   

 The major 2.2-mile road, which stretches through the Loop from East Grand Avenue south to DuSable Lake Shore Drive, was named Columbus Drive in 1933.

The ordinance must be studied by the Chicago City Council’s Transportation Committee before it can be considered by the City Council at large.

"COPOMIAO wholeheartedly supports honoring past presidents from both sides of the aisle, but not at the expense of our heritage. Local leaders know they can attract media attention with these replacement ordinances, but such efforts afford them little political capital among voters, as these measures fail to address the real issues their constituents face, i.e., economic uncertainty and public safety concerns," said Russo.

Consider the following:

• In 2020, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto recommended the removal of the city's Columbus statue. A year later, during his reelection bid, he was handily beaten in the primaries by a first-time mayoral candidate (it was the first time in decades that a two-term incumbent suffered such a loss in Pittsburgh).

• In 2020, during her first term, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot ordered the removal of the city's Columbus statues. In 2023, she suffered a lopsided defeat during her reelection bid. She was the first incumbent mayor in 40 years to lose in the Chicago primaries.

• In 2019, Cleveland City Councilman Basheer Jones, during his first term, proposed legislation to abolish Columbus Day. His efforts failed, and, in 2021, he gave up his council seat to run for Cleveland mayor (he lost in the primaries).

• JCCIA President Ron Onesti met with Ald. Lamont Robinson this past weekend and Robinson is now considering alternative options, but he has yet to amend his proposed renaming ordinance, according to the New York Post.