Rename Columbus Drive but not after Obama

When Christopher Columbus returned to the shores of North America in 1493, he had asked for and received a moral mandate from the pope through the king and queen of Spain, proclaiming the New World would be European and Christian. Columbus’ requested and granted papal request is called The Doctrine of Discovery, and it gave European Christians the sole right to occupy land, steal goods and enslave natives.

The Doctrine of Discovery was the justification for the entire transatlantic slave trade, the colonization of these lands and the forced removal and genocide of Indigenous peoples. Columbus’ legacy in proclaiming the superiority of Christian Europeans is the root of white supremacy in our country today as noted in Robert P. Jones’ book “The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy.”

Chicago has a moral responsibility to remove the name of Columbus from Columbus Drive. However, instead of renaming it Barack Obama Drive, I urge the City Council to rename Columbus Drive after the aggrieved legacy of Columbus, that is, Chicago’s land ancestors. The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from their land after the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, justified by Columbus’ Doctrine of Discovery, and sent west of the Mississippi River as part of the federal policy of Indian removal.

The Potawatomi teach their children the “Seven Grandfather Teachings” of wisdom, respect, love, honesty, humility, bravery and truth toward each other and all creation. Each lesson teaches them the equality and importance of their fellow tribesmen and respect for all of nature’s creations.

The city should collaborate with John Low, a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and an associate professor at the Ohio State University, and the American Indian Center in Chicago for a proper and honorable land acknowledgment that includes renaming Columbus Drive. Regan Burke, Near North Side Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.