Is Thanksgiving a holiday of “horrors”? Lewis D. Ferebee, Chancellor of D.C. public school system seems to think so.
According to Fox News, he sent a letter to the DCPS community encouraging parents and children to “decolonize” Thanksgiving, a holiday which he said brings up “horrors.”
After expressing his gratitude for the community and encouraging families to stay safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ferebee included a message entitled “Recognizing the History of the Holiday.”
Ferebee encouraged the community to “decolonize Thanksgiving”. “If you host a Thanksgiving meal, consider doing a land acknowledgement,” he wrote.
He encouraged individuals not to sugar coat the past and told them to use terms like “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing”.
The Chancellor said, “Thanksgiving is a day that can be difficult for many to celebrate as we reflect on the history of the holiday and the horrors inflicted on our indigenous populations.”
Regardless of what happened on the first Thanksgiving, most people today do not even think of the holiday’s history. Instead they gather to celebrate and honor family, to connect and give thanks.
Ferebee shared articles that he believed would help the community decolonize thanksgiving.
The articles claim that the way Thanksgiving is taught in school “internalizes oppression.” They explain that the stories of the first Thanksgiving perpetuate racism and stereotypes.
They go on to encourage the eating of Native American foods rather than traditional American cuisine.