Who was Nathan Bedford Forrest?

[kbhanson3]

IMO the most fitting definition provided by Merriam Webster is "racial prejudice or discrimination."  I am not aware of anyone who is advocating removing NBF's name from the school due to racial prejudice or discrimination against people of his race.  Please enlighten us if I am blind on this point.

[Tacachale]

Naming something after a guy from some other state isn't celebrating local history and it doesn't makes us "different". Far from it, it makes us a place that doesn't think enough of its own history. Again, should we have "Francisco Pizarro High School" and "Earl Cornwallis Middle?"

[Sgarey123]

Black folk have been taught not to enjoy their own culture. Thus they feel they have one separate and do not identify with their own confederate roots. Simply no marrketing has been done...no teaching...no preaching to convince them otherwise.

At the same time everyone is being assimulated to forget what local means...heritage...who they are. I would say most know the nfl better than politics...or general history...much less family history. People move more now too which makes them feel no ownership in the culture they live.

Essentially there is a movement to rid the states of personality...cultural differences...diversity.

The point is that this is the result...black culture taking away what they percieve as white culture! Racism.

For years leaders have made sure the minority is represented and now as soon as the coin flips....well now you see why renaming is bad...right? Intolerance...racism...one culture feeding on another.

This is not what jacksonville should be about. Ever.

[thelakelander]

I'm a proud black southerner. I've been taught mine from a very young age.  It's not confederate. No need to treat or view all of us a some sort of tribe that must think and abide by the same views and rules.

[Cheshire Cat]

Sgary123:   
Essentially there is a movement to rid the states of personality...cultural differences...diversity

Oh....so this is actually a nationwide conspiracy?  That explains everything...... 

Just curious, who made you the spokesperson for all that is southern?  Was there an election or something that the rest of us born and bred southerners missed or did you decide all on your lonesome that your view of southern history is the accurate one and a matter of "grace" and all?  If so, how old were you exactly when your mama dropped you on your punkin head?  Bless your little heart, guess you don't know any better.   

[Tacachale]

It's getting comical in here, y'all.

[kbhanson3]

The point is that this is the result...black culture taking away what they percieve as white culture! Racism.

Yes, it is getting comical.  This will be my final post on this board (feel a little like a bass who has swallowed a hook with a bad worm and need to spit it out).  I am white, so I don't see how it could be racist that I would advocate for a name change.  And, I don't feel like "black culture" (whatever that is) is taking away my "white culture" (as if it is a homogeneous culture in the first place).  But the beauty of this protracted back and forth is that I believe we have once again exposed that many of the underlying arguments against changing the name are indeed a perpetuation of the same racist attitudes that prevailed when the name was originally selected.  It is my sincere hope that our community will soon progress beyond such small minded beliefs and actually become a "Bold New City of the South."

[Sgarey123]

I love this town. I wish you all did too. I find it sad that you can not understand the very clear points that I have made here.  How quickly we forget all the lessons we were taught for years about  Civil Rights.  Its just unbelievable to you that the victim has now changed.

The mob being a mixture of fools thinking they are doing the right thing when they are merely breaking the ideals that provided them this choice.

Be inclusive. Be tolerant. Save Jacksonville from going down this road. Honor our history and cherish it before we are just another town.

Renaming is bad for all of us.

[thelakelander]

Duval schools board member Connie Hall requests Forrest High be renamed

For the first time a Duval County School Board member Tuesday night formally requested that the school board consider changing the name of Nathan Bedford Forrest High.

Initially the board resisted the sometimes impassioned pleas from community members Tuesday night to make a decision now about whether to rename it.

But near the end of the meeting progress was made; board member Connie Hall submitted a letter formally requesting the school be renamed, requesting that a vote become an agenda item for a future board meeting. Then the seven board members voted unanimously to have a special meeting Friday to formally accept her request, have a board discussion and instruct the superintendent to formally set up procedures for possibly renaming the school, including soliciting community input.

"This has been in the community for quite some time, too long," Hall said. "It definitely needs to be addressed, one way or another."

full article: http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-11-05/story/complaints-about-forrest-high-school-name-voiced-school-board-meeting

[Cheshire Cat]

Sgary123...  I wish you all did too. I find it sad that you can not understand the very clear points that I have made here.

Oh we understand your points quite clearly. 

[SunKing]

With regard to NBF, I am personally less concerned about the historical aspect behind the push to rename.  I am not racially sensitive enought to care on my end but I certainly understand if others are.  The man really doesnt have ties to the area worthy of having a high school named after him (Robt. E. Lee actually did visit the area, but thats a different conversation). 

What we are really talking about is ownership and in that respect, renaming does help.  It shows progress.  It fosters community involvement which in turn fosters ownership and community pride.  When you take ownership you care.

Rename it, take ownership and make Forest a better place. Ill start a new thread on renaming Jacksonville...

[Sgarey123]

Well now...that is special.

While we are at it lets just shoot and eat every endangered species we can. Lets knock down anything not built after 1980. Lets close all the mom and pop businesses and only shop at "approved" stores.  Lets close every business that isn't funded by the Government.  No more non-franchise restaurants...you get chains only. Heck, lets burn all the books that do not have the "correct" way of thinking. Knock down every tombstone, monument, fountain, and plaque.  We can rename every bridge, building, highway,battlefield, school to something above the Mason-Dixon line (so we can look cool to them..what we have down here just sucks right?). 

Diane...you supported Black heritage with the restoration of a hospital downtown. Why? Why do we need that? Mow it down. We do not need our own identity or history.  After all Jacksonville is a Yankee town! We are wannabes!  We can be told what we are once we forget our real roots. In fact lets just demolish the fort at St. Augustine or we rename it after Colin Powell! YAY!   You know what....once we get all the above done...lets all just wear the approved uniforms...okay? Cool!

I do not believe for one minute most of you "get" it.  All you see is "KKK" and that is sad. The big picture is so much more. Eat what you have been cooking for years folks....renaming this is bad. There is no other way to slice it.

[SunKing]

Well now...that is special.

While we are at it lets just shoot and eat every endangered species we can. Lets knock down anything not built after 1980. Lets close all the mom and pop businesses and only shop at "approved" stores.  Lets close every business that isn't funded by the Government.  No more non-franchise restaurants...you get chains only. Heck, lets burn all the books that do not have the "correct" way of thinking. Knock down every tombstone, monument, fountain, and plaque.  We can rename every bridge, building, highway,battlefield, school to something above the Mason-Dixon line (so we can look cool to them..what we have down here just sucks right?). 

Diane...you supported Black heritage with the restoration of a hospital downtown. Why? Why do we need that? Mow it down. We do not need our own identity or history.  After all Jacksonville is a Yankee town! We are wannabes!  We can be told what we are once we forget our real roots. In fact lets just demolish the fort at St. Augustine or we rename it after Colin Powell! YAY!   You know what....once we get all the above done...lets all just wear the approved uniforms...okay? Cool!

I do not believe for one minute most of you "get" it.  All you see is "KKK" and that is sad. The big picture is so much more. Eat what you have been cooking for years folks....renaming this is bad. There is no other way to slice it.

Not sure I follow, are you simply opposed to change?

[Tacachale]

I think most people on Metro Jacksonville support preserving our unique local culture and history. However, many of us disagree that naming a school after a guy from Tennessee nearly 100 years after the Civil War is really a part of our local culture and history, let alone that the name should be kept despite so many people taking issue with it.

[Sgarey123]

There is a German club in Avondale btw.  You miss the point again.

You are trying to misdirect from the core point.  The absurdity of destroying everything unique about this town includes having a school named after Forrest.  Furthermore you invite change based on ignorance...furthermore you turn us into a City that pines to be like somewhere else instead of being proud of who we are.

Have an open mind.  Our Grandparent's generation named all these schools and they did a good job spreading out the naming.

Finally...I get what you are inferring. The fact is race is not the factor driving me to want to keep name. The people removing it have a that problem.