The American-Italian Federation of the Southeast will host a Columbus Day reception hosted by President Charles Marsala on Monday October 13th from 4-7pm. The reception will be catered by Varino's Italian Sausage and include an Italian dessert truck.
New Orleans is known for the 1891 Massacre of Italians that was funded by the City Council, which gave $10,000.00 to the Committee of Fifty to buy Winchester Rifles. A mob of 5,000 participated in the massacre & lynching, which is considered the largest mob lynching in America's history.
The massacre and lynching inspired President Harrison in 1892 to expand Columbus Day celebrations. In 2022, the City Council voted to removed observance of Columbus Day from the City of New Orleans.
During the 1930s, with the work of The Knights of Columbus against racism and to shut down the second coming of the KKK, President FDR and Congress passed an ACT requiring the President to issue a Columbus Day Proclamation.
President's Biden and Trump have issued strong proclamations in observance of Columbus Day.
In 2023, the Federation began working with the Knights of Columbus to bring back Columbus Day observance in New Orleans.
