Akron City Council has wrapped up a three-year long process to . Beginning in 2021 because of the pandemic, the city will celebrate Italian-American Heritage and Culture Day each October. September will be known as 鈥淲elcoming Month.鈥�
Eliminating Columbus Day in Akron was first introduced in 2017. Councilman Russel Neal Jr. proposed renaming it Indigenous Peoples Day to .
The measure didn鈥檛 pass, in part, because many Akron Italian-Americans were against it.
City council has worked since then with Akron鈥檚 16 Italian American organizations, Black leaders and local clergy to reach consensus, said Council Vice President Jeff Fusco.
鈥淢any in our community have significant problems with Christopher Columbus so it鈥檚 taking that pain away and yet honoring the Italian community in terms of what they鈥檝e offered Akron,鈥� he said.
Designating September 鈥淲elcoming Month,鈥� is expected to work with Akron鈥檚 existing effort as a welcoming community for refugees and immigrants. As , September will feature community discussions focused on improving relationships to and promoting tolerance among all residents, Fusco said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so many differences between all of us we need to have those discussions so we can better understand one another,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd understand that truly at the end of the day there鈥檚 so much more that brings us together than differentiates us.鈥�
In 2018, Akron鈥檚 council also unanimously voted to make the first Monday in October 鈥淣orth America First People鈥檚 Day.鈥�
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