PORT ORANGE — On Monday, after visitors expressed concern, Volusia County quietly removed the sign in front of the ancient live oak that has been known for decades as the “Confederate Oak” at the Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange.
A day later, the Volusia County Anti-Racism Coalition called for government leaders to rename the Confederate Oak, one of the centerpieces of the park that formerly was a plantation.
“It is time to move on from the accented remembrance and/or glorification of an era that enslaved, dehumanized, tortured, and killed human beings for centuries,” said Alicia Keenon, a member of the group’s administration team, in the emailed request.
The plea to rename the tree comes in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, a Black man whose death at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer sparked recent protests across the nation, including numerous protests in Volusia County.
Port Orange was the first of several cities in the area that saw hundreds take to its streets in recent weeks to protest police brutality and systemic racism. Amid national and local demonstrations, Confederate monuments and other perceived symbols of oppression have been renamed or removed.
Volusia County will give consideration to renaming the Confederate Oak, county spokesman Gary Davidson told The News-Journal in an email. He did not say specifically when or how the county will address the renaming issue.
“We are very proud of Volusia County’s standing as an ethnically and racially diverse community and want to be sensitive to all concerns,” Davidson said.
County Councilwomen Deb Denys and Billie Wheeler did not respond to multiple calls seeking comment. Both represent portions of Port Orange.
A note has been added to the website for Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens that reads: “The beautiful old large oak tree in the Gardens no longer is marked by a sign calling it the ‘Conf*****te Oak.’ In response to community requests the County removed the sign recently.”
The Volusia County Anti-Racism Coalition’s email to Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens asks that the Confederate Oak be given a new, non-offensive name. The coalition formed a Facebook group in the wake of Floyd’s death. It has more than 980 members and facilitates discussions about what people can do to fight racial inequality.
Keenon sent the email to the park after noting that the current name of the tree evokes “a negative part of our history.”
“My sense is that most people are not going to even think of this because things that are named Confederate this or Confederate that haven’t really been on our radar,” said Keenon, a white resident of Port Orange, in a phone interview with The News-Journal. “With the recent uprisings against racism and police violence, I think that we as a whole have become a little more aware of those types of things.”
In Port Orange, white residents make up 86.9% of the population, while Black residents account for 5.8%, according to data from the U.S. Census. In Volusia County, 83.9% of residents are white and 11.4% are Black.
In the emailed plea, Keenon raised concerns about the negative connotations associated with oak trees. “Black people were frequently hung from oak trees – mainly because they are sturdy, but also because they stand for Southern pride,” she wrote.
In 1862, Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens was a camp headquarters for the Confederate St. John Rangers during the Civil War, according to the website for the Port Orange site. The sign that was taken down where the live oak stands reads: “This great tree is called the Confederate Oak because according to legend, Confederate Soldiers frequently camped under it.”
Volusia County has no records indicating how the tree came to be known as the Confederate Oak, Davidson told The News-Journal. However, there are historical references dating back to around 1949 that show the use of that name.
The tree itself could be more than 250 years old, Davidson said.
Cynthia Slater, president of the Volusia County NAACP, said she supported the request to rename the tree, noting that steps should be taken to denounce hate. Slater was asked to join the Volusia County Anti-Racism Coalition and decided to become a member of the Facebook group to view the conversations between “like-minded people” who wanted to call out racism.
“This is just the beginning, particularly in the Port Orange area, where the demographic of African Americans in not that high,” Slater said. “People are coming to realize that we need to learn to live together. People should not be reminded of the days of slavery. (Confederate) names have negative connotations that we no longer accept.”
Incidents involving the mistreatment of Black people have continued to occur across the nation. Recent incidents, including Floyd’s death, have given rise to Black Lives Matter protests and calls for the riddance of Confederate symbols.
Weeks after more than 500 people marched across the Dunlawton Bridge in Port Orange to demand justice for Floyd and other Black people killed in interactions with police, Keenon urged government leaders to rename the Confederate Oak to help move the community forward.
“I think that this is a very small gesture,” she told the News-Journal. “It’s not a policy change or a law change. I think that naming it something with a more positive connotation will influence our community for the better and change the current atmosphere.”
https://www.news-journalonline.com/...uoconfederate-oakrsquo-removed-in-port-orange
Maybe they should rename it "Floyd's Oak" or something stupid like that.
A day later, the Volusia County Anti-Racism Coalition called for government leaders to rename the Confederate Oak, one of the centerpieces of the park that formerly was a plantation.
“It is time to move on from the accented remembrance and/or glorification of an era that enslaved, dehumanized, tortured, and killed human beings for centuries,” said Alicia Keenon, a member of the group’s administration team, in the emailed request.
The plea to rename the tree comes in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, a Black man whose death at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer sparked recent protests across the nation, including numerous protests in Volusia County.
Port Orange was the first of several cities in the area that saw hundreds take to its streets in recent weeks to protest police brutality and systemic racism. Amid national and local demonstrations, Confederate monuments and other perceived symbols of oppression have been renamed or removed.
Volusia County will give consideration to renaming the Confederate Oak, county spokesman Gary Davidson told The News-Journal in an email. He did not say specifically when or how the county will address the renaming issue.
“We are very proud of Volusia County’s standing as an ethnically and racially diverse community and want to be sensitive to all concerns,” Davidson said.
County Councilwomen Deb Denys and Billie Wheeler did not respond to multiple calls seeking comment. Both represent portions of Port Orange.
A note has been added to the website for Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens that reads: “The beautiful old large oak tree in the Gardens no longer is marked by a sign calling it the ‘Conf*****te Oak.’ In response to community requests the County removed the sign recently.”
The Volusia County Anti-Racism Coalition’s email to Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens asks that the Confederate Oak be given a new, non-offensive name. The coalition formed a Facebook group in the wake of Floyd’s death. It has more than 980 members and facilitates discussions about what people can do to fight racial inequality.
Keenon sent the email to the park after noting that the current name of the tree evokes “a negative part of our history.”
“My sense is that most people are not going to even think of this because things that are named Confederate this or Confederate that haven’t really been on our radar,” said Keenon, a white resident of Port Orange, in a phone interview with The News-Journal. “With the recent uprisings against racism and police violence, I think that we as a whole have become a little more aware of those types of things.”
In Port Orange, white residents make up 86.9% of the population, while Black residents account for 5.8%, according to data from the U.S. Census. In Volusia County, 83.9% of residents are white and 11.4% are Black.
In the emailed plea, Keenon raised concerns about the negative connotations associated with oak trees. “Black people were frequently hung from oak trees – mainly because they are sturdy, but also because they stand for Southern pride,” she wrote.
In 1862, Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens was a camp headquarters for the Confederate St. John Rangers during the Civil War, according to the website for the Port Orange site. The sign that was taken down where the live oak stands reads: “This great tree is called the Confederate Oak because according to legend, Confederate Soldiers frequently camped under it.”
Volusia County has no records indicating how the tree came to be known as the Confederate Oak, Davidson told The News-Journal. However, there are historical references dating back to around 1949 that show the use of that name.
The tree itself could be more than 250 years old, Davidson said.
Cynthia Slater, president of the Volusia County NAACP, said she supported the request to rename the tree, noting that steps should be taken to denounce hate. Slater was asked to join the Volusia County Anti-Racism Coalition and decided to become a member of the Facebook group to view the conversations between “like-minded people” who wanted to call out racism.
“This is just the beginning, particularly in the Port Orange area, where the demographic of African Americans in not that high,” Slater said. “People are coming to realize that we need to learn to live together. People should not be reminded of the days of slavery. (Confederate) names have negative connotations that we no longer accept.”
Incidents involving the mistreatment of Black people have continued to occur across the nation. Recent incidents, including Floyd’s death, have given rise to Black Lives Matter protests and calls for the riddance of Confederate symbols.
Weeks after more than 500 people marched across the Dunlawton Bridge in Port Orange to demand justice for Floyd and other Black people killed in interactions with police, Keenon urged government leaders to rename the Confederate Oak to help move the community forward.
“I think that this is a very small gesture,” she told the News-Journal. “It’s not a policy change or a law change. I think that naming it something with a more positive connotation will influence our community for the better and change the current atmosphere.”
https://www.news-journalonline.com/...uoconfederate-oakrsquo-removed-in-port-orange
Maybe they should rename it "Floyd's Oak" or something stupid like that.
