Martha’s Vineyard schools will wipe Columbus Day from the calendar and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 10, 2022. After an extensive presentation by Lisa Pimentel and Jocelyn Coleman Walton, co-chairs of the Martha’s Vineyard Diversity Coalition (MVDC) education committee, the All-Island School Committee voted unanimously to establish Indigenous Peoples’ Day in place of Columbus Day.

The committee’s vote satisfies the first of four goals proposed by Pimentel and Coleman Walton as part of an effort to elevate indigenous nations and address commonly held American misconceptions. Coleman Walton stressed the mission of the MVDC education committee: “to support Island schools to ensure every child gets the education they deserve in an environment that allows them to feel safe and valued.”