Jefferson Davis was the President of the Confederate States of America from 1861-1865. For that reason, his name appears throughout states in the Gulf South on everything from statues, monuments, his birthplace,  and certainly one parish that many of us are familiar with.

A movement is now underway that seeks to rename that part of Louisiana now known as Jefferson Davis Parish. There has been an online petition started. It hopes to garner enough signatures and attention to set in motion the process of renaming the parish.

Nicholas Guidry's petition states:

We as a people cannot continue to honor the name of ANY PERSON who took up a cause in favor of the ownership of human lives.

Jeff Davis Parish, which is what most of us call it, was part of the Imperial Calcasieu Parish and was given the moniker in honor of the Confederate leader back in 1912. It was also during that time that Allen and Beauregard's Parishes were created. Should the Jeff Davis petition be successful there could be similar petitions started to rename both of those parishes too.

Allen Parish was named for Henry Watkins Allen a Confederate General and former Governor of Louisiana. Beauregard Parish was named for Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard. As of now, we are not aware of any imminent plans to petition a name change for those parishes.

According to the website hosting the online petition once completed it will be sent to members of the state Legislature, the Governor's office as well as the offices of Louisiana's congressional delegation in Washington.

 

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