California officials have announced a Christopher Columbus statue will be removed from the state capitol, saying the presence of the 'deeply polarizing historical figure' is 'completely out of place today'. 'The continued presence of this statue in California's Capitol, where it has been since 1883, is completely out of place today. The controversial figure was donated to the state by Sacramento banker Darius Ogden Mills and dedicated to his brother, a former Capitol commissioner, according to the California State Capitol Museum. October was named Italian American Heritage Month in 2018 as a way to honor Italian Americans this month without specifically referencing Columbus or Columbus Day. The ousting of the Columbus statue comes as outrage over Floyd's death has reignited calls for the removal of racist and Confederate statues across the nation.

Source: Daily Mail June 17, 2020 18:16 UTC