By Henry Bryant
Atlanta city government has attempted to address the issue of Confederate monuments and street names. In October 2017, then-Mayor Kasim Reed established an advisory committee that reported its recommendations just after the November 2017 election. Mayor Reed said he would propose action on the recommendations before leaving office but instead left the issue for Mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms, who has not made the issue a priority. Petitions have been circulated in the neighborhood concerning the renaming of streets bearing the moniker “Confederate” in Grant Park and Ormewood Park. In August, Council Member Carla Smith proposed action that would change the names of Confederate Avenue, East Confederate Avenue, and Confederate Court. Media reporting on the issue prompted City Council president Felicia Moore to appoint Council Members Smith, Michael Julian Bond, and Natalyn Archibong to a committee to consider the November 2017 recommendations. Public meetings are at 6:30pm on September 20 and 9:30am on September 25 at City Hall.
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