A petition to change Broward County’s name was posted on change.org a week ago because of the former Florida governor it was named after and what he was known for.
What We Know:
- There’s a petition for Broward County to change its name because it was named after a former Florida governor, Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, who served from 1905 to 1908. Broward was known for draining and developing parts of the Everglades, but he was also known for being a racist and segregationist.
- This was the same reason that drove local leaders in 2017 to remove the monument of Broward outside the Broward County Courthouse, which was around the time three streets that were named after Confederate leaders were also changed.
- The recent removal of Confederate monuments have occurred as a result of the death of George Floyd, who was killed at the hands of a white Minnesota police officer on May 25th. This also sparked the reawakening of the Black Lives Matter movement. At the Kentucky State Capitol, the Jefferson Davis statue was removed on Saturday because Jefferson was known to be a racist who opposed civil rights for African Americans.
- According to Local 10 News, Broward County Mayor Dale Holness said changing Broward County’s name has been considered before for marketing purposes, but changing the name to stop honoring Confederate historic figures is a better motive.
- Kyle Hill, a citizen of Broward County, is the creator of the petition that started one week ago. Hill said, on the website, that he started this because he wanted the ability to tell his future kids that Fort Lauderdale does not tolerate racism and is an example for the world to follow.
- “The time for action is now,” Hill said. “Racism and segregation may have been reflective of the past but it certainly does not have to define Broward County’s present and future. Let’s rename Broward County for something that is more reflective of the area’s Native American roots or of the current vibrant and diverse community that Broward County has become.”
The petition has received a little over 1,200 signatures and is hoping for 1,500.
