Pastor Wants Washington, Jackson Parks Renamed Due To Slavery Ties
CHICAGO (CBS4) - A pastor is calling for the names of two presidents who owned slaved to be removed from parks in Chicago.
Bishop James Dukes, pastor of Liberation Christian Center, said he wants the statues and names of Presidents George Washington and Andrew Jackson removed from two parks on the South Side, according to CBS Chicago.
"I think we should be able to identify and decide who we declare heroes in or communities, because we have to tell the stories to our children of who these persons are," Dukes said.
Dukes sent a letter to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel requesting the name changes. He posted that letter to Facebook.
"I am feeling ambivalent that I would have to walk my child, attend a parade or enjoy a game of softball in a park that commemorates the memory of a slave owner," he wrote. "Therefore, I call on the immediate removal of President George Washington and President Andrew Jackson names from the parks located on the southeast side of Chicago. They should not have the distinct honor of being held as heroes when they actively participated in the slave trade."
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The request comes following a weekend of violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, where 32-year-old Heather Heyer died while marching against white supremacists who were protesting the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in a park named for him.
About the violence, President Donald Trump said both sides are to blame.
During that news conference, Trump also said, "George Washington was a slave owner. Was George Washington a slave owner? So will George Washington now lose his status? Are we going to take down statues to George Washington? How about Thomas Jefferson? What do you think about Thomas Jefferson? You like him? Are we going to take down a statue, because he was a major slave owner."
Dukes says he is not asking for the parks to be completely renamed, but instead be named after former Mayor Harold Washington and civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson or singer Michael Jackson instead of the presidents.
Chicago's process for renaming parks begins when someone submits a request to the Chicago Park District superintendent. There is then a 45-day public comment period, after which the board may vote.
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