August 26th 2023.
Savannah, the oldest city in Georgia, is making history. After nine months of deliberation, the city council voted to rename a downtown square in honor of Susie King Taylor, a Black woman credited with formally teaching enslaved people to read and write. Taylor is also the only Black woman to publish a memoir of her life during the Civil War, making her an ideal choice for the renaming. This square was formerly named after John Calhoun, who held the position of Vice President but supported slavery before the Civil War.
Mayor Van Johnson acknowledged the magnitude of the city's decision, saying "It’s one thing to make history. It’s something else to make sense. And in this case, we’re making both.” This is the first time a person of color has been honored with one of the 23 squares in Savannah, which were typically named after prominent white men such as colonial founders and war heroes.
The decision to name the square after Taylor was met with some resistance. David Tootle, a Black resident of Savannah, filed a suit against the city council, citing a 2019 Georgia law that protects Confederate memorials and public monuments. He argued that Calhoun should not be stripped of his honor due to his service as Vice President despite his stance on slavery.
Regardless of the pushback, the decision was made and the square will be named after Susie King Taylor. A marker will be placed to explain the square’s previous naming after former Vice President Calhoun.
This moment in history is a testament to the progress made in Savannah, Georgia. Mayor Van Johnson acknowledged the significance of the five Black women who currently sit on the city council, something people in Taylor’s era “never would have fathomed.” Bynes-Royall Funeral Home, the oldest Black business in Savannah, celebrated the decision as a victory for the city.
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