Tag Archives: Confederacy

Confederate statues finally removed from city’s art collection

Posted on October 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good riddance. Statues of Christopher Columbus, Confederate officer Dick Dowling and an angel representing the “Spirit of the Confederacy” were officially removed from the city of Houston’s art collection Wednesday. The statues were taken down from public display two to … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Fort Cavazos

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

For a number of reasons, Tuesday was a good day. One of the U.S. military’s largest bases has been renamed after the Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. Fort Hood, located about 70 miles north of Austin, Texas, was redesignated on … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Maybe this is the year we get rid of Confederate Heroes Day

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I know it shouldn’t boggle my mind that we even still have such a thing as “Confederate Heroes Day” in Texas in the year of our Lord 2021, but we do and it does. And so, some lawmakers will try, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Dan Patrick’s Confederate posturing

Posted on August 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever else you can say about Dan Patrick, he’s always on brand. n response to a letter by Democratic state senators urging the removal of Confederate monuments and symbols at the Texas Capitol, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blamed Democrats on … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Kaylynn Williford

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Goodbye, and good riddance. The head prosecutor for Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s trial division resigned Monday after posting a meme on Facebook last week that equated protesters who remove Confederate statutes with Nazis. The meme posted by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Confederate monuments to be removed

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the City of Houston plans to relocate the Dowling and Spirit of Confederacy statues, which are currently both located in two City of Houston parks. The statues will be removed by Friday, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Senate protects Confederate monuments

Posted on May 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I will never understand this. After nearly four hours of testimony and an emotional show of opposition from some legislators of color in the Texas Senate, the upper chamber approved Tuesday a bill that would expand protections for historical monuments. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Confederate plaque at the Capitol to be removed

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hallelujah. Following more than a year of complaints from elected officials of all political stripes, a state board that oversees the Texas Capitol grounds voted unanimously Friday to remove a controversial Confederate plaque that falsely asserts that the Civil War … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Bonnen supports removing Confederate plaque

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. After a yearlong push to remove a controversial “Children of the Confederacy Creed” plaque from inside the Texas Capitol, momentum appears to be picking up steam. On Monday Gov. Greg Abbott announced a Jan. 11 meeting of the State … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

AG rules Confederate plaque can be removed

Posted on November 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s get a move on then. The Texas Legislature or a state board chaired by Gov. Greg Abbott can remove a plaque in the Capitol honoring Confederates, Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a published opinion Wednesday, providing clarity to a longstanding question … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The status of Confederate monument removal

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We still have a long way to go. Texas has removed the most Confederate symbols and statues in the country since 2015, according to a new Southern Poverty Law Center study. But the trend does not extend to the state … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Straus backs removing Capitol Confederate monument

Posted on September 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Kudos. Texas House Speaker Joe Straus requested on Tuesday that a contentious Confederate plaque be removed from the Capitol. The plaque, erected in 1959, asserts that the Civil War was “not a rebellion, nor was its underlying cause to sustain … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Confederate monuments in the Capitol

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Get rid of them, too. A state lawmaker wants all Confederate symbols removed from the Texas Capitol grounds, including a plaque that is 40 steps away from his office that rejects the idea that the South seceded from the Union … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mayor Turner requests study of Confederate statues

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox. Mayor Sylvester Turner has asked top staff members to study whether statues related to the Confederacy should be removed from city property. The mayor commented about the statues Tuesday at a City Council meeting after members of … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 36 Comments

Renaming Dowling Street

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The process has to change before the name can be changed. For years, Third Ward residents have had to roll with the changes in their community, often having to live with decisions made in the corridors of power at City … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

No injunction against HISD school name changes

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The changes can remain, at least for now. A civil court judge has declined to stop the Houston school district from changing the names of eight campuses that were named after Confederate loyalists. Judge John Wooldridge this week denied a … Continue reading →

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HISD sued over school name changes

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. Nine members of the local community on Thursday sued Houston’s public school district, alleging the district violated numerous laws and their own regulations when recently changing the names of eight schools. “We’ve been arguing as parents and … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

HISD finishes renaming schools

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From last week: Eight names that have adorned Houston school buildings, uniforms and yearbooks for decades will vanish next year after trustees came together Thursday to approve new ones without Confederate ties. The renaming decisions followed months of controversy that … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Three more HISD schools to be renamed

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The new campuses to be renamed, joining four others approved on split votes in January, are Albert Sidney Johnston and Sidney Lanier middle schools and Jefferson Davis High School. Johnston was a … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD board moves to change some school names

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

There may be more to come at a later date. The five-trustee majority also voted to rename Henry Grady, Richard Dowling and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson middle schools and Robert E. Lee High School. Now, a committee at each school, including … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD will begin process of renaming schools with Confederate ties

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. [HISD] trustees plan to start the process with a vote to revise the district’s policy to state explicitly that names should be non-discriminatory. The revised policy also details how the board can initiate renaming schools. Board president Rhonda Skillern-Jones … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Legislators ask for a task force to review Capitol monuments to the Confederacy

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. On the same day that the South Carolina Legislature voted to remove the Confederate flag from its Capitol grounds, five Democratic lawmakers asked Gov. Greg Abbott to consider the appropriateness of the Confederate monuments at their own … Continue reading →

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The debate over changing Confederate-named schools in HISD

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Predictably, not everybody likes the idea of rechristening HISD schools that were named for Confederate generals. Houston ISD board president Rhonda Skillern-Jones has said she wants her fellow trustees to consider renaming six campuses, following the June shooting deaths of … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

HISD Board President backs changing Confederate school names

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. Amid a growing move to shed symbols of the old, slave-owning South, the Houston school board president said Thursday that she supports renaming six campuses named after Confederate loyalists. Rhonda Skillern-Jones said she plans to discuss the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments