New London — The statue of Columbus that had stood for downtown for more than 90 years was unceremoniously hauled off earlier this year amid protests calling for social justice.

Now, the City Council intends to take up a resolution changing Columbus Day in the city to Italian Heritage Day, another move away from honoring the once revered 15th century explorer who is now linked by many to the enslavement and killing of indigenous people.

Italian Heritage Day would be celebrated on the second Monday of October to “honor the achievements and contributions of Italian immigrants and their descendants living in the United States.”

It’s one of three resolutions to be considered by the City Council at its meeting on Monday. The two others would declare October as Italian Heritage Month and November as Native American Heritage Month in the city. Both designations are in line with presidential proclamations at the national level.

“Whereas the City Council of New London firmly believes in recognizing and celebrating their deep indigenous roots, the council also intends to acknowledge the hard work and contributions of their Italian residents,” the City Council announced in a news statement on Friday.

“To that end, we acknowledge that history of both Italians and Indigenous People of New England has helped to shape New London through the decades of hard work and sacrifices while enhancing our footprint with customs and traditions still celebrated today,” it said.

Councilor Curtis Goodwin, who drafted the language for the resolutions and is himself a descendant of indigenous peoples, said the measure is “near and dear to me.” He said he watched the conversations surrounding the removal of the Columbus statue earlier this year and saw a deep divide in the community. The move to recognize the Italian American people, and not Columbus the man, he said, is intentional and meant to inspire unity within the community.

While Columbus Day is a national holiday, not all states, municipalities or institutions celebrate it. The New London school district traded Columbus Day for Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2017. New Haven, earlier this year, similarly traded Columbus Day for Italian Heritage Day.

Goodwin called it a pivotal moment in the nation and city, in which changes like the ones proposed are leading to meaningful conversations among the diverse groups of people living in the city. He said the resolutions will acknowledge both the history of Italians and indigenous people.

“It’s just a true moment of healing and we’re doing it in a very intentional way,” Goodwin said.

Monday’s City Council meeting is virtual and starts at 7 p.m. The public is invited to sign up and speak or submit written public comments by email jstartz@newlondonct.org before the start of the meeting. Emails are typically read into the record.

g.smith@theday.com