Cleveland City Council President becomes the first non-Italian Serve as Grand Marshal of Parade

Oct 08, 2024

Cleveland City Council President becomes the first non-Italian to receive the honor, in recognition of his commitment to inclusion and years of service to the diverse ethnicities in his Ward and the City.

Basil Russo, chairman of Cleveland’s Columbus Day Parade, proudly announced that City Council President Blaine A. Griffin will serve as Grand Marshal for the neighborhood-wide cultural celebration, which will step off at noon in Little Italy on Monday, Oct. 14.

“Councilman Griffin led the city’s Community Relations Board for 11 years, fostering cross-cultural initiatives and building a spirit of mutual respect,” said Russo. “Little Italy is part of his ward, and he has always been a great friend to Cleveland’s Italian American community. It was only fitting that we recognize Councilman Griffin’s efforts and award him the distinct honor of being the parade’s first non-Italian Grand Marshal.”

The parade will feature thousands of participants and attendees, elaborate floats, vintage cars, the famed Orlando bread truck, marching bands, local vendors, plus a variety of authentic Italian and Italian American fare along Mayfield and Murray Hill roads.

“I have always worked to bring people of diverse backgrounds together in our city and region,” said Council President Griffin. “I’m extremely honored to be the first non-Italian-American Grand Marshal for this special occasion.

“It is always great to recognize the contributions made to our civic, government, arts, culture and industry by Italian-Americans. I look forward to celebrating this day with my fellow Cleveland family.”  

Cleveland’s Columbus Day celebrations, sponsored by Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), date back to 1920 when several Italian American enclaves across the city paid homage to their heritage. After World War II, the parade unified and was held downtown before eventually moving to Little Italy in 2004. 

Columbus’ History

Opponents of Columbus statues and holidays incorrectly assume that the parades and monuments pay homage to colonialism. Ironically, the navigator’s likeness was initially embraced to promote greater acceptance of early immigrants to our nation.

In 1892, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison organized the first national Columbus Day parade in New York City, aiming to ease a diplomatic crisis between the U.S. and Italy. This crisis arose a year earlier when the largest lynch mob in American history murdered 11 innocent Italian immigrants in the streets of New Orleans.

President Harrison’s NYC parade, which drew more than a million attendees, inspired Italian Americans throughout the 1900s to create Columbus statues and hold parades across the U.S., symbolizing their drive for assimilation. Today, the holiday honors Italian American pride and heritage.

Over the past two years, Basil Russo and his Italian American peers have worked directly with White House officials to develop Columbus Day proclamations that explore the history behind the holiday.

See the 2022 and 2023 White House Columbus Day Proclamations for further context.