The downtown square in Savannah, GA, is no longer named after a former slave owner and is now named after a black woman who taught formerly enslaved people to read.
In 2022, the city of Savannah voted to remove the name of John C. Calhoun from the square.
This past weekend they officially renamed it Taylor Square to honor Susie King Taylor, a former army nurse and Civil War icon who grew up in Savannah.
She was the first African American teacher to educate black students openly in the state of Georgia.
"I think it shows the maturity of Savannah as we continue to grow that we have to lift up names," said Mayor Van Johnson. "We have to work together, and the fact of the matter was, this was people of all races, hues, ages, from all parts of the community coming together saying, You know what? This is the name we need to choose."
Mayor Johnson thinks the decision to honor Taylor represents everything the city of Savannah stands for.
