Austin Equity Office Suggests Changing Non-PC Name Of Texas Capital

Eric Scheiner | July 30, 2018
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The city of Austin’s Equity Office has suggested renaming the city in a report about existing Confederate monuments.

The city name appeared on one of two lists of assets to be reviewed and considered.

From the Austin American-Statesman:

Known as both the “father of Texas” and the namesake of the state’s capital, Stephen F. Austin carved out the early outlines of Texas among his many accomplishments.

He also opposed an attempt by Mexico to ban slavery in the province of Tejas and said if slaves were freed, they would turn into “vagabonds, a nuisance and a menace.”

The City Equity Office has placed the “Austin” name on a secondary list for review, while a first list worthy of immediate action contains a list of street names.

The latest report acknowledged the likelihood of opposing viewpoints and nodded to inconveniences to businesses and residents and the view that changing the names could be considered a threat to historical preservation. It also asked whether the proposed changes reside on a slippery slope.

“What’s next and where do we stop?” the report asks.

The Statesman notes that a change to the city’s name would be difficult and likely require an election, since “Austin” would have to be struck from the city charter and replaced.

 

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