Columbus Day, 2021

Proclamation 10281 of October 8, 2021

Columbus Day, 2021

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

More than 500 years ago, after securing the support of
Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II, Christopher
Columbus launched the Ni[ntilde]a, the Pinta, and the
Santa Maria from the coast of Spain in 1492. While he
intended to end his quest in Asia, his 10-week journey
instead landed him on the shores of the Bahamas, making
Columbus the first of many Italian explorers to arrive
in what would later become known as the Americas.

Many Italians would follow his path in the centuries to
come, risking poverty, starvation, and death in pursuit
of a better life. Today, millions of Italian Americans
continue to enrich our country's traditions and culture
and make lasting contributions to our Nation--they are
educators, health care workers, scientists, first
responders, military service members, and public
servants, among so many other vital roles.

Today, we also acknowledge the painful history of
wrongs and atrocities that many European explorers
inflicted on Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities.
It is a measure of our greatness as a Nation that we do
not seek to bury these shameful episodes of our past--
that we face them honestly, we bring them to the light,
and we do all we can to address them. For Native
Americans, western exploration ushered in a wave of
devastation: violence perpetrated against Native
communities, displacement and theft of Tribal
homelands, the introduction and spread of disease, and
more. On this day, we recognize this painful past and
recommit ourselves to investing in Native communities,
upholding our solemn and sacred commitments to Tribal
sovereignty, and pursuing a brighter future centered on
dignity, respect, justice, and opportunity for all
people.

In commemoration of Christopher Columbus's historic
voyage 529 years ago, the Congress, by joint resolution
of April 30, 1934, and modified in 1968 (36 U.S.C.
107), as amended, has requested the President proclaim
the second Monday of October of each year as ``Columbus
Day.'' Today, let this day be one of reflection--on
America's spirit of exploration, on the courage and
contributions of Italian Americans throughout the
generations, on the dignity and resilience of Tribal
Nations and Indigenous communities, and on the work
that remains ahead of us to fulfill the promise of our
Nation for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, do hereby proclaim
October 11, 2021, as Columbus Day. I direct that the
flag of the United States be displayed on all public
buildings on the appointed day in honor of our diverse
history and all who have contributed to shaping this
Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
sixth.