Caribbean American Lawmaker Wants Confederate Names Off U.S. Bases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has re-introduced legislation in the United States House of Representatives calling for the re-naming of military bases and other property named after Confederate leaders.

Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants and represents the predominantly Caribbean 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, said the legislation requires all U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) property that is named after Confederate leaders to be re-named within a year.

With heightened awareness about and desire for change around racism in America, Clarke said the legislation, called “The Honoring Real Patriots Act”, was re-introduced from her 2017 legislation of the same name – this time with 30 original co-sponsors.

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“Our country is at a crossroads to move forward from our racist, troubling past by making actual changes, which is why I’ve taken legislative action in introducing ‘The Honoring Real Patriots Act’ to re-name property that’s been glamorizing Confederate leaders,” Clarke told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) last month.

“Instead, we must memorialize the true patriots, those brave men and women who fought for our country, not against it,” she added.

Clarke said legislation would require any military installation or other property under the jurisdiction of the DOD, that has been named after any individual who took up arms against the U.S. during the American Civil War or any individual or entity that supported such efforts, to be changed within a year.Military bases, streets and buildings are examples.She said future property would also be required to abide by this naming convention.

In response to the U.S. military publicly stating its openness about changing the names of military bases, U.S. President Donald J. Trump has  tweeted his support of and commitment to maintaining military bases named after Confederate generals.