OMNI Italian Year in Review: Community pushes to rename Columbus Centre after Black Lives Matter protests

The death of George Floyd, a 44-year-old Black man who was killed while in police custody, kickstarted a powerful movement calling for widespread police reform, accountability and awareness around anti-Black and Indigenous racism. Statues of historical figures were torn down around the world, as people began to recognize the roles they played in perpetuating racist policy and rhetoric. In Toronto, a petition launched by an Italian-Canadian artist asked for the historic Columbus Centre to be renamed, to separate it from the infamous Christopher Columbus. OMNI Television spoke with artist Andrea Ramolo, Filitalia International executive director Marco Circelli and other community members about the weight a name can carry and the importance of their fight for change.