27 SEP 2026 · Columbus Day is a celebrated holiday for Italian Americans. But many do not know the story behind the holiday and why it was created. We cannot compare the struggle of Italian-Americans with the struggle of black Americans, but we can say that a black American today is far better off than an Italian immigrant in the late 19th century. But America is not a story of grievances, it is the story of a unique Republic, built o the idea and ideals of liberty. It is that ideal that I embrace, despite the actions of individuals and even local governments throughout our nation.
The largest lynching in US history was of 11 Italian in 1891. The Tuskegee Institute reveal that about 27% of all lynchings in the US between 1882-1968 were of "white" people. Between 1890 and 1910 about 40% of all lynchings were of Italian-Americans. Italians made up about 4% of the population at that time. In many government statistical categories, Italians from southern Italy as well as Sicilians were not considered "white." They had their own category ("Italian, Southern").
When Columbus Day was displaced in many places across the nation to make room for newer holidays, a part of history was lost. But I am a proud American who has embraced the idea that is America. As Ronald Reagan noted (quoting President Lincoln), America is 'the last, best hope of Earth.'
If the powers within our borders that hate our Founding, our system, and our ideals succeed to destroy this nation, the world will enter a dark age it cannot imagine. There is reason the whole world is trying to come here by an means possible, and it's not because they've left homeland's Nirvana to try and make us better.
Sources:
- Tuskegee Institute
- Library of Congress
- Barbara Jackson, Jessica. "Before the Lynching: Reconsidering the Experience of Italians and Sicilians in Louisiana, 1870s-1890s"
- Opinion | How Italians Became 'White'". The New York Times. October 12, 2019
- DeLucia, Christine (2003). "Getting the Story Straight: Press Coverage of Italian-American Lynchings from 1856–1910"
All sources listed with corresponding statements/facts in the video version (available at YouTube, Rumble and Bitchute). Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/brooklyn-s-dad-talks-about-the-bible--4330982/support.