By Journal Staff
The Revere Human Rights Commission held its first monthly meeting since May last Thursday, October 3, in the City Council Chambers. On hand for the session were chair Chaimaa (Shay) Hossaini and fellow members Dr. Lourenco Garcia, Kourou Pich, vice-chair Herby Jean-Baptiste, Molly McGee, and Somaya Laroussi. Steve Morabito, the city’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) who serves as the HRC’s Executive Director, and local resident Ed Terrell, an invited guest, also were on hand for the meeting. Hossaini opened the session with the usual Land Acknowledgement, in which the Pawtucket tribe was recognized as the original holder of the land in Revere.
The members then offered their reflections on the Visioning B.E.A.R. (Balance, Equity, And Respect) Circle seminar that the members attended in June that was directed by Strong Oak Lefebvre. The HRC members gathered in chairs in a circle and passed around a microphone to share what they learned at the seminar, as well as the things for which they are grateful (among other topics), with Dr. Garcia and Pich leading the discussion. Garcia presented an article written by an Italian-American group that supports replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in Massachusetts.
A lengthy discussion ensued, with the members focusing on the injustices perpetrated upon indigenous people from the time that Columbus arrived. Laroussi suggested that “celebrating and honoring Columbus is a white supremacist statement. The history has been sanitized. His arrival in the Americas was the beginning of the genocide. He was bad not only from today’s point of view, but in his own time as well, when he was imprisoned for his crimes. He was a bad person yesterday and he’s still a bad person today who should not be representing Italian-American heritage. “I understand and have a lot of appreciation for the people who have advocated against the discrimination that Italian-Americans have faced,” Laroussi continued.
“I’ve really enjoyed growing up in this city and learning the history of Sacco and Vanzetti and the history of discrimination against Italian-Americans. What does Italian heritage pride look like? When we choose to accept Columbus as an icon for Italian-Americans, that is a direct connection to white supremacy and colonization. I don’t see any pride in being Italian if you are not accepting of your proximity and your influence on all of these other people, these people of color, you’re basically being discriminated against at their expense. “
Hossaini made the point that Christopher Columbus was funded by the king and queen of Spain, unlike the Italian immigrants who later came to the United States who were escaping dire poverty and who survived hardships upon coming to America. Hossaini also compared Columbus to Osama bin Laden, stating that they both were terrorists. Garcia spoke of the “confusion between the celebration of Italian-American Heritage Month and Columbus Day that has been historically propagated by our schools through indoctrination. It’s not about not recognizing the heritage of any people, it’s the confusion that Columbus discovered this continent. Columbus never was in North America. We need to educate people.”
Hossaini wrapped up the session by adding a disclaimer. “We do not condone any hate to any side, whether that be the Indigenous Peoples or the Italian-Americans who live in our city. We’re just here to voice our opinions to make Revere a better place to live and grow.” She concluding the meeting by reading aloud the HRC’s Mission Statement: “The Mission of the Revere Human Rights Commission is to promote human and civil rights and empower all people of Revere by ensuring that everyone, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized, have equitable opportunities, equal access, and are treated with dignity, respect, fairness, and justice.”
