Atlanta’s ‘Confederate’ streets are officially no more

After more than a decade of debate and grassroots pushes for change, a trio of streets southeast of downtown Atlanta officially dropped their “Confederate” names on a fitting occasion Monday.

In Grant Park, on the morning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, streets formerly named after an association with the Confederacy were formally commemorated as United Avenue and Trestletree Court, city officials announced.

Sure, new street signs may have been posted for several weeks, but District 1 Atlanta City Councilmember Carla Smith, who represents the area, made the revised monikers official during an unveiling ceremony. (Google recognizes the changes now, too; MapQuest, as one example, does not).

Formerly, Confederate Avenue and East Confederate Avenue snaked through southeast Atlanta neighborhoods Grant Park, Ormewood Park, Boulevard Heights, and Woodland Hills.

Google Maps

Last year, Atlanta City Council passed legislation renaming the streets, which Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed into law in October.

Confederate Avenue and East Confederate Avenue have become United Avenue. Meanwhile, Confederate Court is now Trestletree Court, a nod to the large apartment complex that surrounds the street.

Curbed Atlanta

As CNN notes as part of a deep dive into the inspirations, challenges, and even pushback against the street name changes, Atlanta still counts about three dozen roadways named for Confederate figures or the Confederacy in general.

Blue markers atop the revised street signs now indicate what previous “Confederate” names were.

• These Atlanta neighbors no longer wanted to live on Confederate Avenue. Here’s what they did about it [CNN]