Sunday, August 20, 2017

Rename Faneuil Hall? That's the request of one Boston coalition

Rename Faneuil Hall? That's the request of one Boston coalition

 

The violent clash in Charlottesville last weekend began with a protest against the city council's decision to remove a statue memorializing Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Since then, other statues honoring the Confederacy and Confederate icons have been toppled by force or removed by city officials. Eight major cities across the United States are also reportedly considering removing Confederate symbols in their communities, according to CNN.

One group is bringing a similar debate to Boston, asking to rename city landmark Faneuil Hall.

Kevin Peterson, member of political group "The New Democracy Coalition," told reporters on Wednesday that the marketplace named for Peter Faneuil is "an embarrassment" to Boston, reports WCVB.

According to Peterson, Faneuil's role as a slave-owner and slave trader is reason to remove his name from the popular tourist marketplace and historic meeting place. Faneuil was born in 1700 and died in Boston in 1743.

WCVB reporter David Bienick said Mayor Marty Walsh did not outright reject the idea when asked.

At least 12 U.S. presidents have owned slaves throughout the country's history, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Union Commanding General Ulysses S. Grant, prior to the Civil War.

In Massachusetts, there is one Confederate memorial. Fort Warren on Georges Island in Boston Harbor was erected in 1963, as Civil Rights federal legislation was being introduced. The memorial remembers 13 Confederate prisoners who died in captivity.


Only Confederate memorial in Massachusetts hidden from public view
Only Confederate memorial in Massachusetts hidden from public view

Massachusetts' only Confederate memorial has been boxed up and hidden from view since June, as state officials weigh options for its relocation.

According to a 2016 report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are 1,500 Confederate symbols across the country, including 718 monuments. At least 109 public schools are named for General Robert E. Lee, and 80 counties and cities are named after Confederate icons.


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2 comments:

  1. Bob MAugust 20, 2017 at 11:26 AM

    We should rename Washington State, Washington, DC, Washington bridge, Washington Monument, Mt. Washington etc because he legally owned slaves??? Yes the practice was terrible,but many practices over the years have proven horrible to humankind.
    Is it better to erase monuments to history, good and bad, or use these items as tools, reminders.

    Maybe, from here on out we should stop feeling the need to name every government building, public place after some person. I mean what is the point?


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  2. Baldwin TempletonAugust 21, 2017 at 6:09 AM

    I saw a large group of people gathering at what could have been a protest at Lee's Hot Dog Stand in Baldwinville. Most had happy faces as they apparently were enjoying great food and ice cream. Was this bastion of fine food named after General Lee?

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