Fighting Stereotypes

The CSJ Perspective

By Robert M. Ferrito, President

I’d like to start off with some good news, which came to us by way of Upstate New York. In Syracuse, Mayor Ben Walsh was planning to remove the Columbus Statue that was paid for and donated to the city in 1934 by Italian immigrants. In an ensuing court case, State Supreme Court Judge Gerard Neri ruled against Mayor Walsh, stating that he lacked the individual authority to legally remove the statue. The statue in Syracuse will stay!

While such victories feel seemingly few and far between, people are hearing our message. We continue to educate the public about why Christopher Columbus was an important symbol to the Italian-American community and the tragic reason Columbus Day came to be a federal holiday. It is important that we continue to fight through education. On this note, I am proud to say that we are making progress with our mission to permanently honor the 11 Italian immigrants who were lynched in New Orleans on March 14, 1891—the largest lynching in United States history and the reason Columbus Day became a federal holiday. You may remember that that three years ago, through the efforts of the New Grand Lodge- CSJ, the City of New Orleans and Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued an official proclamation apologizing for the tragedy.

I am proud to have been New York State President during this historic moment in time, and present at this ceremony, and I am proud that it was the first step in the right direction. The next step was to launch a fundraising campaign for a memorial to be placed in New Orleans that would permanently recognize this tragic event and the 11 Italian immigrants who were victims on that horrific day:

Antonio Bagnetto James Caruso

Loreto Comitz Rocco Geraci

Joseph Macheca Antonio Marchesi

Pietro Monasterio Emmanuele Polizzi

Frank Romero Antonio Scaffidi

Charles Traina

We are now in the process of securing approval for a plaque to be placed at the very site of the lynching in New Orleans. The site will be placed on a historic walking tour for the city of New Orleans. I would like to thank my predecessor—CSJ Immediate Past President Kevin A. Caira—for initiating the fundraising effort that will contribute to this permanent memorial. The memorial will educate all who pass this exhibit about the brutal violence that the 11 Italian immigrants suffered—and in effect, the prejudice Italian immigrants as a whole endured.

I would also like to thank all who donated to this campaign when it was first launched three years ago. If you have not donated to this effort—it’s not too late! Please contribute using the form below and have a hand in recognizing the names of the men above.

It’s projects like these—ones that will live on long into the future—that we can all feel proud of accomplishing as we continue our fight to preserve Columbus Day and Columbus statues across the country.

Sempre Avanti!

YES! I would like to contribute to the New Orleans Memorial that will recognize the 11 Italian Immigrants who were lynched on March 14, 1891.

Please accept my tax-deductible donation to support the Commission for Social Justice’s mission.

To donate online, visit www.osia.org/csj

$10 $25 $50 $100 $

My check for the total amount of $ is enclosed. (Please make check payable to the “Commission for Social Justice”)

Mail to: Commission for Social Justice 219 E Street NE Washington, DC 20002