De Blasio says he’s ‘a proud Italian American’ in response to Columbus Day school change

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Mayor Bill de Blasio reacted to the sudden Department of Education (DOE) decision to rebrand the public school calendar Columbus Day, which has garnered backlash from some politicians and the Italian American community. 

Columbus Day, named after the historical figure and Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, was rebranded by the DOE as Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous People’s Day, and falls on Oct. 11 this year.