New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is seeking to change a street named after Robert E. Lee in Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton military base after one of his deputy mayors revealed his ancestors were slaves on Lee’s family plantation.
“Nothing should be named after Robert E. Lee at this point in history,” de Blasio said at his daily press briefing on Thursday. “Anything named after him has to go in this city.”
Deputy Mayor Phil Thompson also shared details about his family’s history with the Confederate general, saying his father’s family on both sides was enslaved on Lee’s father’s plantation and one of his ancestors shares Lee’s surname.
“This issue is an emotional issue for many people like me, and it’s really hard for us to feel fully part of this country that celebrates our enslavement with names like that on military bases all across this country,” Thompson said.
In 2017, the U.S. Army denied a request to change the name of that street and one named after Stonewall Jackson. The Army said at the time the streets were named after two generals “in the spirit of reconciliation” after the Civil War.
“We will go right back at the military. … I will reach out to them and let them know how important it is to remove the name of Robert E. Lee not only in Fort Hamilton but everywhere else,” de Blasio said, recalling the past rejection.
Street names, in addition to monuments, memorials, and statues, have been targeted by protesters following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody last month. Demonstrators in major cities have denounced police brutality and racial injustice and called for action to remove symbols associated with historical oppression.
