Historian Has No Idea How Hollywood Got Racist Street Names (FL)

[struggle4progress]

BY JONATHAN KENDALL
FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2016 AT 8:17 A.M.

When the city of Hollywood was founded in the 1920s, Florida was still very much a segregated state. Understanding that his black workers would not be allowed to stay in the city after dark once it was incorporated, J.W. Young, the developer of Hollywood, created an area specifically for African-Americans: Liberia ...

"The streets are clearly named <in the original plans>. Streets are named for U.S. cities with large black populations, and avenues are named for trees,” said Dr. Mickelson.

But then, inexplicably, sometime after the "egalitarian" Young died, the street names were changed.

Rather than celebrating cities with robust black communities, the street names were changed to commemorate individuals. In the process, Atlanta Street, located at the heart of Liberia, was then changed to Forrest Street, memorializing Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, the founder and “Grand Wizard” of the Ku Klux Klan ...

http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/historian-has-no-idea-how-hollywood-got-racist-street-names-7815943

[LibDemAlways]

1. So much wrong with this. And the U.S. hasn't

progressed much, sad to say. Trump's success is shameful proof.

Speaking of Nathan Bedford Forrest, Forrest happens to be the name of George "Macaca" Allen's (former Republican Gov. and Senator from Virginia) only son. Coincidence? I think not.

[Igel]

2. This is confusing.

There is an Atlanta Street. It's one block away from Forrest Street. Is he saying there were two Atlanta Streets, adjacent to each other?

In addition to the Lee, Forrest, and Hood streets there are McClellan, Greene, Cody, Farragut, Sherman, and Scott streets. These are officers (mostly generals) who served on the Union side. Obviously intended to intimidate and appear threatening to anybody from below the Mason-Dixon line who ventured into the area. I guess that's the only possible conclusion, but you'd have to wonder about anybody who'd go through all the trouble of naming three streets after Confederate officers to promote them and laud them but then name twice the number of streets after the dreaded Northern foe.

The Union folk outnumber the Confederate folk. Most discussion of the renaming only mention Confederate officers.

Article sounds convincing until you look at a map.

Then there are all the presidents. And the occasional city name--Charleston, Atlanta (and Cleveland?).

I'd be interested in seeing the original city plans with the street names.

On edit:
Not hard to find those original plat maps. Atlanta Street was renamed. And the street south of it was also renamed, at apparently the same time, to "Atlanta." Why do I think "at the same time"? Both renamings were done in pencil in the same hand on the plat map. That's strange and makes me think the renaming was early, after filing but before building or acceptance.. (Why do the two-step instead of just rename the street south of Atlanta "Forrest"?)

[bonjon]

4. Heya

Hi Igel,

I'm Jonathan, I wrote this piece. Yes, it seems the original Atlanta Street was changed to Forrest Street, and "Liberia Boulevard" was later recouped as Atlanta Street. I've updated the piece with one of the early plans for readers to see that way there is less confusion: http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/historian-has-no-idea-how-hollywood-got-racist-street-names-7815943

Thank you for keeping the discussion going. Have a good day/night!