A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics
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A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics | |
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January 04, 2006White Washing HistoryAs a departure from the latest happenings in DC, I thought I would raise a local issue that isn't as regionally confined as one might think at first glace. There has been a growing chorus in the town in which I live, as well as statewide, to "clean up" Southern history by re-naming landmarks that bear Civil War-era names. (Incidentally, this is not confined to the South. With the NCAA's ban on Native American team mascots, various parts of the country, from New York to New Mexico, are hearing concerns about "potentially offensive" names.) The latest such incident to make statewide news in Florida involves "Slave Canal" in tiny Jefferson County. As local folklore goes, slaves began digging the canal by hand through dense swampland to provide a quicker route to the Gulf of Mexico for plantation owners wishing to transport their cotton. In the process, the slaves were forced to fight off gators, snakes, and other swamp elements, costing many of them their lives. A state agency has now--without local input--asked the US Board of Geographic Names to change the name to a more politically correct "Cotton Run Canal." Locally, there are a number of Public Schools and various other landmarks that bear the names of Confederate Generals, including Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, with the most controversial being the High School that bears the name of Nathan Bedford Forrest, the man widely viewed as the founder of the Klu Klux Klan. While many favor a complete erasure of all things associated with the Confederacy, there are a number--including historians--who argue that acknowledging history isn't the same as endorsing its practices. Specifically, in the case of "Slave Canal", many Jefferson County residents argue that the name should be retained as a reminder of how far the nation has come. Among this number in this County that is 40% African-American, are direct descendants of slaves. While we certainly need to be cautious of those whom we acknowledge with landmark designations, I'm not completely convinced that it's healthy to completely erase historical reminders that could well be used to spark interest in our nation's history--something that seems to be in sad decline. It's not always healthy to only remember the good. Posted by Abel Rabinowitz at January 4, 2006 03:21 PM | TrackBackComments
You say that you're "not completely convinced that it's healthy to completely erase historical reminders." Oh so reasonable of you. But taking Nathan Bedford Forrest's name off the high school is not to erase history. It's to stop honoring a vile and racist person. And you damn well know it.
Robert E. Lee and Nathan Bedford Forrest are two entirely different creatures, and anyone who does not know that, doesn't know their history, which might be the entire point of keeping the names, yes? I went into a local library once in Houston, the Jungman library. There was an oil painting of the man in the lobbey. I asked the librarian who he was, what he did. She had no answer. Thankfully, I was in a library, so finding out was not too difficult. But I was curious because I did not recognize him. If every High School is Washington High or Jefferson High, not only does it get boring and confusing, it loses both the local flair and the potential to teach just with a name. Posted by: StantheMan at January 4, 2006 06:17 PMI'm always amused when people immediately come ripping in. Did I say we should glorify Nathan B Forrest? I presented a news piece. Not sure if you are aware with typical journalistic standards, but you typically present a story and let others argue it out. I don't fancy myself a journalist, but that's the approach I was taking. Of course, I don't think we should honor Nathan B Forrest. I've been one of the individuals locally who has spoken out against maintaining his name on one of the high schools here. But, in this case, I'm just presenting a story. Don't make assumptions. Posted by: AR at January 4, 2006 08:34 PMI sort of understand the impetus in this case, but we have to remember that it doesn't help to forgot our history. We need to remember the lessons, for future generations. Besides, is changing the name really going to do much good anyway? Posted by: Rafique Tucker at January 4, 2006 10:27 PMOne thing to keep in mind is that most of these buildings and memorials were created in a conscious Lost Cause campaing in the late 19th century as a celebration of the victory of white supremacy and the "redemption" of Southern self-rule. The United Daughters of the Confederacy's standard for political correctness bests any Human Ecology Department today. That said, erasing old names is a difficult business. Where do you draw the line? What are the practical consequences of, say, renaming a street? Growing up in Northern Virginia, my view was that streets and places that honored actual Virginians was OK. Robert E. Lee Highway, John Mosby Highway, Early Street (in Alexandria), Fort A. P. Hill. But there is no reason for Route 1 in Northern Virginia to be called Jefferson Davis Highway. That road should be renamed to its original name - Richmond Highway. That said, I think Virginia should start naming places after Virginia Unionists like George Thomas (Thomas Circle in DC is named after him) or Henry Wells, the Radical Republican leader in the late 1860s. Nathan Bedford Forrest should not be used to name anything, anyplace. He was a vile and despicable pig. A slave trader, murderer of captured black soldiers, and founder of the Klan. Posted by: Elrod at January 5, 2006 02:12 AMNathan Bedford Forrest's name shouldn't be attached to anything? How about the Nathan Bedford Forrest Memorial Landfill? Or the Nathan Bedford Forrest Sewage Treatment Plant? I mean, even for a vile and despicable pig there's some appropriate naming opportunities. Posted by: Tully at January 5, 2006 08:26 AMI wouldn't want to require a black child to attend Nathan Bedford Forrest Elementary any more than I would want my child to attend Malcom X Junior High. I'm not for trashing all monuments even to loathsome, offensive creatures, because Abel is right; memorializing history does not mean celebrating it. Also, we should as a society be mature enough to realize that no human is perfect, and to celebrate the good qualities of historical figures and events without overly obsessisng about the negative. I don't think slave ownership in and of itself should disqualify an historical figure from having a school named after him. But Forrest, unlike Lee, was a staunch proponent of the worst aspects of Southern society. Lee fought largely because of a sense of duty to his native Virginia; Forrest fought because he wanted to preserve slavery (given that he was a slave trader himself before the war). While there may be room for debate about his ultimate feelings, I would come down with those not wanting public schools to be named after him. Posted by: PatHMV at January 5, 2006 09:57 AMA variety of reasonable principles can apply on a case by case basis. But I don't think there's one single solid principle that explains very precisely what to do for each case. For example, "Slave Canal" has a great name, IMO. It provides a teaching opportunity related to a specific story, and neither advocates slavery nor belittles slaves. Slaves actually used the canal to try to escape. That's a great story. I think it should stay. But NB Forest neither paid for nor used the school, and the people of the locale in question are certainly within their rights to make decisions about who they wish to commemorate in buildings constructed and maintained at taxpayer expense. If the people don't want to honor Forrest(and they shouldn't), the name should go. IMO, anyone who claims that naming a building after a person is not an honor, but rather could stay to serve some other purpuse is tilting against the overwhelming public understanding of such things. Forest deserves to be consigned to, in the well known historical vernacular, "the dustbin of history." Notice that this doesn't mean that such people are to be forgotten, just that they are in the failure pile. The failure pile is a very worthwhile pile to study, no one who studies history overlooks it. As an aside, the street I live on is called Pentecostal Way, and I don't like it much. Who wants to handle my constiutional appeal? Posted by: bk at January 5, 2006 10:08 AMSpeaking of naming...anyone else from Texas ever wonder what the heck the state's going to do about honoring the current president? I mean, we've already named every airport, highway and cattle pasture the George Bush this or that (after Bush I). Is there any more room for Bush-named things? As for naming schools after villians, that's a bad idea. But sewage treatment plants? I like that idea. Posted by: Alan at January 5, 2006 12:26 PMHow about they rename the George Bush Turnpike in Dallas the Le Petomaine Throughway? :-) Posted by: Tully at January 5, 2006 12:49 PMHey, surely he's not the only President in history to have vomited on a foreign leader? Posted by: PatHMV at January 5, 2006 01:02 PMI wouldn't want to require a black child to attend Nathan Bedford Forrest Elementary any more than I would want my child to attend Malcom X Junior High. That's one of the ironies of that particular high school, Pat. It's predominantly African-American--Forrest would roll over in his grave. Penecostal Way, Brian? Lol. I would have never picked that one for you. We have a tendency to name potholes and f-ed up intersections here after current and former mayors. Of course, we have yet to get the City Council to sign on... Posted by: AR at January 5, 2006 01:55 PMThe question really is, how far do you take it? I don't think anyone has a problem with renaming Nathin Bedford Forrest high... ...but Jefferson did things with his slave[s]. Should we rename all the Jefferson Highs? Take him off Mt. Rushmore? Where do we draw the line? Do we judge on actions or ideals, because Jefferson had ideals where Forrest did not, Jefferson just didn't live up to those ideals. But he did have them... Maybe it's about winning. Winners write history. 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