What to Know
- A Long Island school district has voted to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples Day in place of Columbus Day for the coming academic year
- The Southampton School Board voted 4-2 Monday in favor of adopting next year's calendar which designates the new holiday on Oct. 8
- Southampton students had asked the board to take Christopher Columbus' name off the holiday in 2016
A Long Island school district has voted to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples Day in place of Columbus Day for the coming academic year.
The six-member Southampton School Board voted 4-2 Monday in favor of adopting next year's calendar which designates the new holiday on Monday, Oct. 8. Newsday reports the board had previously adopted a generic calendar for the past three years that didn't list holiday names.
Southampton students had asked the board to take Christopher Columbus' name off the holiday in 2016.
Board Member James McKenna, who voted no, says he feels the decision to change the name slights Italian-Americans.
Board Member Roberta Hunter, a member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, says she disagrees with McKenna's reasoning on the vote.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
