PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Students and faculty at Brown University have celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day after faculty renamed what used to be called Columbus Day.
Dozens gathered at the Providence campus Monday to mark the occasion.
The Ivy League University in 2009 changed the name of the holiday that falls on the second Monday of October to Fall Weekend. Some said the change didn’t go far enough though, so they changed it again in February.
Renaming the holiday, according to the rationale for the motion, “would recognize the contributions of Indigenous People/Native Americans to our community and our culture and foster a more inclusive community.”
Efforts are underway nationwide to drop the Columbus Day name - named in honor of explorer Christopher Columbus - because it represents the oppression of Native Americans.
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