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After years-long fight, Douglas Park to be renamed for Frederick Douglass

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Illinois

Citing Stephen Douglas’ racist past, the Park District has moved to rename Douglas Park for Black abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

In a special meeting Wednesday, the Chicago Park District Board voted unanimously to move forward with the process to rename the West Side park for Frederick Douglass, opening up a 45-day comment period for Chicagoans to weigh in.

The long-awaited renaming could signal a tide of change as officials assess other statues, parks and street names honoring racists and controversial figures in the city.

In 2017, West Side youth began asking the city to rename their neighborhood park to honor abolitionist Frederick Douglass instead of slavery advocate Stephen Douglas. A park in a neighborhood that’s about 90 percent Black shouldn’t memorialize a white supremacist, they reasoned.

For three years, the city largely ignored their efforts.

I didn’t realize this until today, but Stephen Douglas changed the spelling of his name when he was in his 20s. He was born Stephen Arnold Douglass…

The younger Douglas would drop the second “s” from his name in 1846, the year after the publication of Frederick Douglass’s first autobiography; it is unknown if these two events were connected.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 1:58 pm

Comments

This makes me happy.

Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 2:00 pm
“it is unknown if these two events were connected”

I have a hunch that they were

Comment by FDR Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 2:01 pm
This is good low hanging fruit.

Comment by Montrose Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 2:02 pm
Yess.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 2:15 pm
Cool.

Comment by GregN Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 2:21 pm
This is good. It shouldn’t have taken the Park District this long, and it shouldn’t have taken a national movement, but glad to see they finally took action.

Comment by Leslie K Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 2:39 pm
What about Douglas’ tomb at 35th and Cottage Grove? I understand it is a state monument (tomb?) so that would be Illinois’ decision?

Comment by 32nd Ward Roscoe Village Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 2:57 pm
I imagine IDNR has to go through a process for the tomb as it’s a state monument. An easy compromise there might just be to remove the statue on top of it…I’m iffy about moving the whole tomb.

Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 3:02 pm
== What about Douglas’ tomb at 35th and Cottage Grove? I understand it is a state monument (tomb?) so that would be Illinois’ decision?==

I’m all for changing the name of the neighborhood, but messing with grave markers goes a little too far. The area has changed since the Civil War, but there should be something left noting the historic role that area played in the Civil War, and that includes Douglas himself (in a good way in support of the Union effort)

Comment by fs Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 3:05 pm
Good, now change Jackson park since Andrew Jackson has a worse past and fewer connections to Chicago.

Comment by frisbee Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 3:05 pm
===Good, now change Jackson park since Andrew Jackson has a worse past and fewer connections to Chicago.===

Good idea. Probably don’t even need to rename the park, just change who it is named after (Jesse comes to mind as a prominent Civil Rights activist with Chicago ties).

Comment by Sox Fan Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 4:02 pm
Checking fine a grave, Dr. Stephen A. Douglas, his father who died when SAD was 3 months old, used one S. His father Benajah Douglass used 2, his father Deacon Thomas Douglas used one. Multiple descendants used one or 2. Seems no rhyme nor reason, but the Frederick Douglass autobiography publication seems to be more than coincidence.

Comment by Nitemayor Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 4:34 pm
Inexpensive change for the signage…

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 4:44 pm
Nah keep Jackson Park’s name…just name it after Michael Jackson…wait, that may be problematic too.

Comment by PublicServant Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 5:05 pm
Douglass Park. Easy enough change. Hand stencil in the change on the signs.

Comment by Southwest Sider Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 5:24 pm
How about “Bo Jackson” Park? Bo knows that would work.

Comment by West Side the Best Side Wednesday, Jul 22, 20 @ 5:58 pm