Savannah City Council votes on changing the name of the Talmadge Bridge next week

The Talmadge Bridge could soon be gone.

While the structure itself will remain, Savannah’s City Council is planning a vote next Thursday, Sept. 28, on a resolution to have the bridge renamed by Georgia legislators, according to the Savannah Morning News. The bridge is currently named after Eugene Talmadge, a former governor and segregationist.

Savannah Mayor Eddie DeLoach first introduced the idea of changing the name at a council meeting on Aug. 17, following the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia where white supremacist hate groups protested the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, the Savannah Morning News reports.

DeLoach is recommending the name be changed to the Savannah Bridge, according to the Savannah Morning News, which he believes is a straightforward name that won’t court controversy.

Many Savannah aldermen supported DeLoach’s recommendations in August, but heeded a suggestion from Alderman Julian Miller to hold off on implementing the mayor’s plans until they could gather feedback from the public, reports the Savannah Morning News.

A public forum held on Sept. 5 by an association of Savannah artists and community activists called Span the Gap drew about 300 people to discuss the proposal according to the Savannah Morning News, and was met with overwhelming support according to Span the Gap’s spokesperson Ronald Christopher.

Following that forum, DeLoach decided to move forward with the renaming resolution, and also with a plan to bring together a group of Savannah historians to examine options to make Savannah’s Civil War monuments more inclusive in an effort to honor all stakeholders in the conflict regardless of race, color or creed according to the Savannah Morning News.

Gov. Eugene Talmadge served from 1933 to 1946, and Savannah residents have advocated the renaming of the bridge that memorializes him due to his segregationist, white supremacist views, the Savannah Morning News reports.

Should the council approve the resolution it will fall to Georgia lawmakers to make the actual change since the Talmadge is a state bridge. A previous attempt to change the name by the Savannah City Council did not get enough support at the state level to pass reports the Savannah Morning News.

If you would like to attend the City Council meeting next week, the Savannah Morning News reports that it is at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, in the Council Chambers on the second floor of the Savannah City Hall at 2 East Bay Street.

This story was originally published September 23, 2017 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Savannah City Council votes on changing the name of the Talmadge Bridge next week."