2 women take stance against Confederate street names in Hollywood, demand change

Laurie Schecter, Linda Anderson apply for street name changes

HOLLYWOOD, Fla.Protests outside of Hollywood City Hall on Wednesday afternoon spilled over into the city’s commission meeting later that night.

Dozens had gathered to take part in a heated debate over renaming three streets that are currently named after Confederate generals Robert E. Lee, John B. Hood and Nathan Bedford Forrest, who was one of the founders of the Ku Klux Klan.  

In the end, five people Jose Minaya, John Toole, Josafat Rodriguez, Holly Stein and Melisa Franco, were arrested for disturbing the peace

Laurie Schecter and Linda Anderson feel strongly about the street signs being named after the Confederate generals, so much so they shelled out thousands of dollars to make the change.

"Naming matters. It reflects your values. It reflects what you hope for your city, what your city stands for," Schecter said.

Anderson agrees, saying the names of the Confederate leaders "don't represent the city of Hollywood to me." 

The application requests that Forrest Street be changed to Savannah Street. Hood Street would change to with Macon Street and Lee Street to Louisville.

"For some reason these names got changed," Schecter said. "We're here to restore the names." 

Why now?

It turns out the street name issue has been going on for a long time in Hollywood.  

Others strongly disagree.

"They should accept the fact that Nathan Bedford Forrest runs through (the city), as we accept," a street named after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  an anti-name change protester said.

The issue is now in the hands of city officials who will ultimately final decision.