On behalf of the Italian-American Defense League, I am writing this petition in response to the decision of the Norwich, CT Board of Education on January 12, 2021 to adopt a 2021-2022 School Year Calendar that replaces Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

The Italian-American Defense League (IADL) supports education, portrays positive stereotypes, and preserves cultural traditions. IADL promotes the preservation of Italian-American heritage and customs. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the American establishment viewed Italian Americans as foreigners or second-class citizens. White supremacists attacked Italian Americans through lynching, discrimination, and inequitable wage practices.