Plan to Rename Columbus Drive to Obama Drive in Chicago Faces Criticism, Reconsideration
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Alderman Lamont Robinson proposed renaming Chicago's Columbus Drive to Barack Obama Drive to honor more Black men and promote tourism.
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The Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans criticized the plan as offensive to Italian-Americans.
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Robinson met with the Italian-American group's president Ron Onesti and is now reconsidering the name change plan to avoid ethnic discrimination.
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The proposed name change was more about honoring Obama's history than removing Christopher Columbus.
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Columbus Drive runs through Grant Park where Obama gave his historic presidential victory speech.