Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy is open to renaming U.S. Army bases named in honor of Confederate leaders after two weeks of unrest following the death of unarmed black man George Floyd.
An Army spokesperson said McCarthy is “open to a bipartisan discussion on the topic” despite his previous opposition to the idea, Politico reported on Monday.
Earlier this year, the Army said it had no plans to rename its bases after the Marine Corps announced it would ban Confederate flags from its installations. A spokesperson also previously said that the Army has a “tradition” of naming installations and streets after historical figures of military significance, which includes both Confederate and Union leaders.
Protests over Floyd’s death, which occurred in police custody last month after a white Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, spread around the world and escalated the national conversation on racial injustice. Several statues of notable figures, including Confederate leaders, were vandalized amid civil unrest.
Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, and Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia are among Army installations named after Confederate leaders.
