It’s unfortunate that this year’s Columbus Day Parade was canceled because of the pandemic. But it’s even more unfortunate that in recent years, an anti-Columbus movement has risen up attempting to eradicate history. Columbus Day is not a day to honor an individual, but rather a day to remember a courageous voyage, the catalyst that initiated over 500 years of immigration to the Americas by people from every corner of the Earth, all of whom were seeking better lives for their families.

It’s also unfair to apply today’s political norms to a man who lived 500 years ago. If modern norms were applied to all the historical figures we respect and hold dear, there would be a strong argument to denigrate some of the most important figures in American history. And especially this year, in the midst of racial and political conflict that is tearing our nation apart, I hope our country can find better ways to tell the full story instead of eliminating it altogether.