Petition Aims to Bring Indigenous Peoples’ Day to Framingham

FHS Black Student Union and their supporters, request your signature on their petition.

The recent vote of the Framingham School Committee on January 2, 2019, resulted in the addition of Indigenous Peoples’s Day to Framingham's School Calendar, which will be recognized for the first time on Monday, October 14, 2019 alongside Columbus Day. Students and teachers, along with other members of the public and members of the Racial Equity Subcommittee, had originally sought to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day altogether. The action taken by the school committee came short of their request.

The Black Student Union of Framingham High School is now seeking to bring the issue to a public, city-wide discussion at a future Framingham City Council meeting. Framingham’s City Charter outlines in Article VIII, Item 1b, Group Petitions Action Required, that a petition, signed by 100 registered Framingham voters can bring an issue to the city council that would require that action be taken by the body. The petition asks the Framingham City Council for a “resolution to be created and accepted, by the Framingham City Council, for Framingham to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day and no longer recognize Columbus Day, on the second Monday of October.”

The submission of a successful petition would mark a new level of formal public participation under the City’s new form of government as it would be the first time that constituents bring a group petition as allowed under Section VIII, Item 1b of the City Charter, to the council.

The efforts of the student body, showing engagement in the local political process, are a source of pride for many of the City’s residents and elected officials who have applauded similar efforts in the past.