Stamford’s Columbus Day celebration goes on
Battle to remove downtown statue was one year ago
STAMFORD — More than a year ago, a group of Italian-Americans in Stamford fought to preserve a statue of Christopher Columbus in the downtown.
On Sunday, they’ll celebrate that the statue is still standing.
The Stamford chapter of the Italian-American service organization Unico is putting on the Columbus Day celebration, which will take place around 11:15 a.m. at the monument, which depicts Columbus standing on a globe — to symbolize the New World — in the center of a small pool of water.
The 1960 monument dedicated to the 15th-century explorer, and his name on the park where the statue stands, caused heated debates in the city this summer, mirroring those at other spots honoring Columbus around the country.
In July2020, then-Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Jennifer Williams said an ad-hoc committee would be formed to discuss the statue and whether or not it should be removed.
But that never happened, and the debate around the statue slowed to a crawl.
This week, Director of Operations Mark McGrath said the option of forming the committee “was not met with a great deal of interest or indication of planned action in doing so by either side of the issue.
“However, the city of Stamford would be happy to revisit the issue if residents feel that potentially removing the statue is something that should be discussed,” he said in a written message.
Revisiting the debate might be on the horizon: The mayoral election is taking place in less than a month which could affect the future of the monument.
Bobby Valentine, who is running as an unaffiliated candidate and has been the grand marshal of New York City’s Columbus Day celebration in the past, said the statue is meaningful to many.
“Stamford’s first Italian-Americans were banned from labor unions and certain neighborhoods, and discriminated against in untold ways, yet they fought our nation’s wars, built our city on their backs and enriched our culture,” he said, in a written statement. “Columbus is a symbol of that and his statue is meaningful to many in our community.”
He added, “At the same time, Stamford is home to many important cultures that also should be celebrated.”
Valentine said he would propose a multicultural museum at Old Town Hall to celebrate Stamford historical figures such as Jackie Robinson.
In a written message, Democratic candidate Caroline Simmons said, “I don’t think it is the job of a mayor to unilaterally tear down statues, but rather to listen to our community on the figures they want to see in our public spaces and work with our elected boards on this process.”
She added, “We must celebrate Italian heritage and the contributions our Italian-American community had made while also acknowledging the suffering of indigenous people and tell the full story of our history.”
The trend of communities tearing down statues of Columbus or demanding that such monuments be removed came on the heels of mass protests that broke out across the country last year in the wake of the shooting death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.
“Last year, thousands of Stamford residents marched in our city for racial justice demanding action from their elected officials. As a state representative, I was proud to take part in those demonstrations, and to subsequently help facilitate conversations about racial justice at the state capitol, work that led to the passage of new state laws giving state residents greater protection from racial discrimination,” Simmons wrote. “I am committed to continuing those efforts by listening, collaborating and advocating as mayor of Stamford for a more just and equitable community.”
Columbus Day in Stamford has recently been celebrated with the That’s Amore Italian Street Festival, which has drawn a crowd of thousands to Columbus Park. Because of COVID-19, the food festival was canceled last year.
The ceremony planned for Sunday will include playing the American and Italian national anthems and free coffee and biscotti. Mary Lou Rinaldi, who serves on the Stamford Board of Finance, will raise the Italian flag, while state Senator Ryan Fazio will raise the American flag.
Al Fusco, president of the Stamford chapter of Unico, said the event is happening rain or shine.
He said interest in the ceremony has increased. When asked if the controversy surrounding Columbus’ legacy was causing some to back away from celebrating the holiday, he said the opposite is true. Instead, the debate over the statue has caused some to dig their heels in against the removal of the statue.
“We’re not stepping back from it at all,” he said. “People now are saying, ‘No, that’s not going to happen here in Stamford.’”