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A N.Y. Street Is Named for Robert E. Lee. Officials Want That Changed. An N.Y. Street Is Named for Robert E. Lee. Officials Want That Changed.
(about 2 hours later)
Mayor Bill de Blasio waded into a resurgent national debate over the legacy of the Civil War on Thursday morning, when he called on military officials to rename a street at an Army base in Brooklyn named after Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general and its military leader. Mayor Bill de Blasio waded into a resurgent national debate over the legacy of the Civil War on Thursday morning, calling on military officials to rename a street at an Army base in Brooklyn named after Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general and its military leader.
“His name should be taken off everything in America, period,” Mr. de Blasio said at a news briefing.“His name should be taken off everything in America, period,” Mr. de Blasio said at a news briefing.
The mayor’s comments came as the city has faced weeks of protests demanding a reckoning over institutional racism and systemic bias, part of a national movement touched off by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.The mayor’s comments came as the city has faced weeks of protests demanding a reckoning over institutional racism and systemic bias, part of a national movement touched off by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Included in that larger conversation has been the revival of a long-running and difficult discussion over Confederate tributes.Included in that larger conversation has been the revival of a long-running and difficult discussion over Confederate tributes.
On Wednesday, President Trump fueled the debate when he publicly criticized the Pentagon for considering renaming 10 Army bases named after Confederate officers who fought against the American military to defend the slaveholding South in the Civil War.On Wednesday, President Trump fueled the debate when he publicly criticized the Pentagon for considering renaming 10 Army bases named after Confederate officers who fought against the American military to defend the slaveholding South in the Civil War.
“The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars,” Mr. Trump wrote over a number of tweets. “Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations.”“The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars,” Mr. Trump wrote over a number of tweets. “Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations.”
New York — a Northern stronghold of abolitionists but one that historically benefited from the brutal business of slavery — has had far fewer Confederate memorials than places in the South. In 2017, a number of busts and plaques honoring Confederate figures were removed across the city, part of a wave of monuments taken down after a white nationalist rally that turned violent in Charlottesville, Va. New York — a Northern stronghold of abolitionists but one that historically benefited from the brutal business of slavery — has had far fewer Confederate memorials than places in the South. In 2017, a number of busts and plaques honoring Confederate figures were taken down across the city, part of a wave of monument removals after a white nationalist rally that turned violent in Charlottesville, Va.
But the Fort Hamilton Army base in southern Brooklyn near Bay Ridge, which is overseen by the military and not by local officials, still has two roads named after Southern generals: General Lee Avenue, named after Lee, and Stonewall Jackson Drive, named for Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson.But the Fort Hamilton Army base in southern Brooklyn near Bay Ridge, which is overseen by the military and not by local officials, still has two roads named after Southern generals: General Lee Avenue, named after Lee, and Stonewall Jackson Drive, named for Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson.
Lee served at Fort Hamilton in the 1840s, when he was stationed there as an Army engineer. The street bearing his name is a main thoroughfare the base, the only active military installation in the city. Fort Hamilton, an Army garrison that was named for Alexander Hamilton and built between 1825 to 1831, is the only active military installation in the city. Both the Army Corps of Engineers and the Army Reserve have offices there, and the post is home to a battalion that recruits soldiers from New York City, Long Island and Westchester County.
Lee served at Fort Hamilton from 1841 to 1846, when he was stationed there as an Army engineer.
Mr. de Blasio on Thursday said that while he did not have jurisdiction over Fort Hamilton, he would appeal to military leadership to strip the base’s streets of their Confederate legacy.Mr. de Blasio on Thursday said that while he did not have jurisdiction over Fort Hamilton, he would appeal to military leadership to strip the base’s streets of their Confederate legacy.
“Anything named after him has to go in this city,” Mr. de Blasio said of Lee.“Anything named after him has to go in this city,” Mr. de Blasio said of Lee.
J. Phillip Thompson, a deputy mayor under Mr. de Blasio who was also at Thursday’s news briefing, also expressed his support for the mayor’s position, saying that the issue hit close to home for him because he was descended from people who were enslaved on Lee’s plantation.J. Phillip Thompson, a deputy mayor under Mr. de Blasio who was also at Thursday’s news briefing, also expressed his support for the mayor’s position, saying that the issue hit close to home for him because he was descended from people who were enslaved on Lee’s plantation.
“This issue is an emotional issue for many people like me,” Mr. Thompson said. “And it’s really hard for us to really feel fully part of this country that celebrates our enslavement with names like that on military bases all across this country.”“This issue is an emotional issue for many people like me,” Mr. Thompson said. “And it’s really hard for us to really feel fully part of this country that celebrates our enslavement with names like that on military bases all across this country.”
A Pentagon spokesman referred questions to the White House, where a spokesman declined to comment.A Pentagon spokesman referred questions to the White House, where a spokesman declined to comment.
The mayor’s remarks followed a letter sent by two of New York’s congressional representatives — Max Rose and Yvette D. Clarke, both Democrats who represent parts of Brooklyn — to Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper that called on the Army to rename the streets.The mayor’s remarks followed a letter sent by two of New York’s congressional representatives — Max Rose and Yvette D. Clarke, both Democrats who represent parts of Brooklyn — to Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper that called on the Army to rename the streets.
In the letter, which was reported earlier Thursday by The Daily News, Mr. Rose and Ms. Clarke criticized Mr. Trump’s tweets.In the letter, which was reported earlier Thursday by The Daily News, Mr. Rose and Ms. Clarke criticized Mr. Trump’s tweets.
They also told Mr. Esper that it was “impossible to disentangle these men’s identities as individuals from the cause they rebelled against our nation to defend” and that the military should not “honor men who divided this country to defend slavery.”They also told Mr. Esper that it was “impossible to disentangle these men’s identities as individuals from the cause they rebelled against our nation to defend” and that the military should not “honor men who divided this country to defend slavery.”
Instead, Mr. Rose and Ms. Clarke urged Mr. Esper to rename the streets in Brooklyn after African-American heroes who fought to uphold American values, including equality.Instead, Mr. Rose and Ms. Clarke urged Mr. Esper to rename the streets in Brooklyn after African-American heroes who fought to uphold American values, including equality.
“U.S. military bases and property should be named after men and women who’ve served our nation with honor and distinction, not sought to tear it apart to uphold white supremacy,” the letter said. “And American servicemembers deserve to serve on bases that honor their ancestor’s contributions to our nation, not those who fought to hold those same ancestors in bondage.”“U.S. military bases and property should be named after men and women who’ve served our nation with honor and distinction, not sought to tear it apart to uphold white supremacy,” the letter said. “And American servicemembers deserve to serve on bases that honor their ancestor’s contributions to our nation, not those who fought to hold those same ancestors in bondage.”
Ms. Clarke had been among a number of local lawmakers who pressed the Army to make a similar move in 2017. At the time, the Army declined, saying in a letter that doing so would be “controversial and divisive.” Ms. Clarke had been among a number of local lawmakers who pressed the Army to make a similar move in 2017. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo later endorsed their views, writing a letter to the then-acting secretary of the Army, Ryan McCarthy.
An Army spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At the time, the Army declined to rename the streets, saying in a letter that doing so would be “controversial and divisive.”
An Army spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.