In October 2020, in the wake of a boiling anti-Columbus movement, ISDA President Basil M. Russo was unanimously elected by his peers to lead the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations. Within a matter of weeks, COPOMIAO became an incubator of advocacy and activism focused on addressing longstanding issues that were undermining and erasing Italian American history. 

Seemingly overnight, COPOMIAO launched coast-to-coast virtual summit meetings, established national committees, and sought to coordinate the efforts of all Italian American organizations. “For far too long our ancestors’ story has been targeted by radical public officials, agitators, and attention seeking reformists for their own misguided social and political gain,” said Russo.