UNRAVELING: Chicago bishop wants George Washington’s name taken off park in black neighborhood

The pastor of a prominent Chicago church is calling on Mayor Rahm Emanuel to remove the name of President George Washington from the name of a park in a black neighborhood. Bishop James Dukes, pastor of the Liberation Christian Center, says it’s no longer appropriate for statues of American presidents who owned slaves to be commemorated in

African-American neighborhoods. Dukes is calling on Emanuel to remove such names from parks on the South Side. A bronze statue of George Washington on horseback stands at the northwest entrance to Washington Park. The pastor also said President Andrew Jackson’s name should be removed from nearby Jackson Park. READ MORE