A few weeks ago I was trying to get to a restaurant on Jeff Davis Pkwy in New Orleans, and was shocked to see that the name of the street had been replaced on my GPS, and all street signs. The new name is N. Norman C. Francis Pkwy, and it is just one of the street names that the city of New Orleans is revising to reflect the changing times.

At least 37 more are being considered for name changes, to terminate honoring people who were associated with slavery, the Confederacy, or other horrible things in the past. And many statues around the city have been taken down over the years for the same reason. And in some cases, just the pedestals are still standing, as kind of a ghostly reprimand.

On Wednesday the New Orleans City Council Street Renaming Commission met to discuss changes to some of the most famous streets and landmarks in the city, including Lee Circle. The traffic circle once held the statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee, and the name of famed New Orleans chef Leah Chase had been rumored to be under consideration for the new name. However, the council recommended re-naming it Égalité Circle. The suggestions, along with several other street and park names, will now move to the city council. There are 37 total, including several parks around the city, and here are the proposed name changes.

Councilman Jay Banks told NOLA.com "Nothing that we do is an attempt to rewrite history. This is, however, us exercising the authority to honor who we choose to honor."

 

 

SIMPLE THINGS ACADIANA CAN’T GET RIGHT

 

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