The Monroe County Historical Association is pleased to announce a free Zoom program open to the public.

Emeritus Professor and Pocono Record columnist Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo will present a live lecture challenging conventional thinking about Christopher Columbus and his role in history.

Titled “Columbus: The Man and the Myth,” the presentation is part of the popular Third Thursday Lecture Series and will be held virtually via Zoom on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.

School books once made Christopher Columbus the intrepid hero who discovered America, but now he is pictured as the villain who started genocide against the First Americans. Italian Americans have honored Columbus by erecting heroic statues to his memory and with parades on his holiday.

In contrast, many people of color, especially those from Latin America, blame the Admiral for the pandemics and cultural annihilation that afflicted the native civilizations of the Americas.

Stevens-Arroyo will show how these interpretations of Columbus advance an ideology of a particular historical moment.

Describing these politically charged purposes as “myths,” Stevens-Arroyo will suggest the distortions of the historical Columbus reveal more about society than they do of Columbus.

Stevens-Arroyo, as Professor at Brooklyn College, has had a distinguished career in academia. Born in Philadelphia, Stevens-Arroyo is known for advocating Hispanic culture among Latinos in the United States.

In 1992, he was awarded the Citation of Honor by the National Columbus Day Committee.

Since moving to Monroe County in 2007, he has become an active member of many organizations and currently serves on the Monroe County Historical Association’s Board of Directors.

To register for the virtual presentation, please visit https://www.monroehistorical.org/thirdthurs.html.

A recording of the presentation will be available on the Historical Association’s YouTube channel the following week.

For additional information or assistance with making a reservation, please contact the Monroe County Historical Association office at 570-421-7703.