Please sign if you support changing the name of Philadelphia’s Taney Street to honor someone who has united the country rather than divided it, and who recognizes the important contributions of all Americans.
Rename Taney Street PetitionRead the petition
In the days and weeks since George Floyd was murdered, thousands of our fellow Americans have taken to the streets to insist that we, as a national community, must no longer accept the systemic racism that has existed for the past 400 years. At the same time, all of us have been forced to question what we want our communities to look like—values wise and even physically.
Here in Philly, the Frank Rizzo statue was taken down from in front of the Municipal Building and his mural in the Italian Market was been painted over. While these are symbolic actions, they strongly demonstrate that our city has the potential to evolve into one where everyone feels they are not only welcome but valued.
This is why it is time for Philly to take another important step and RENAME TANEY STREET. There is just no reason for this divisive figure to continue to be celebrated in our city. Recently, both Baltimore and Annapolis removed statues of Taney.
To provide some history, Justice Roger Taney was the principal author of the Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court decision of 1857. This decision held that African-Americans had no standing in court, regardless of whether they were free, because they were not and could not be U.S. citizens. Even at the time, Taney’s perspective on African-Americans was roundly condemned. Frederick Douglass said, “All that is merciful and just on Earth and in Heaven, will execrate and despise this edict of Taney.” Portions of this Philadelphia street were named in Taney’s honor in 1858.
Please join this effort to RENAME TANEY STREET, by not only signing the petition above, but sharing the link to it on your Social Media! Change is not easy—but it is needed!
JOIN RENAME TANEY ST
Are you a community organization, business organization, business or nonprofit and want to officially sign onto RENAME TANEY STREET? Send an email to firstname.lastname@example.org and we will add your logo
This petition has been organized by www.fitlersquareneighbors.org