By Eric Curl
Oct. 18, 2024 – A Savannah resident is continuing to challenge the legality of the city’s decision to rename a downtown square after Susie King Taylor, a former enslaved educator and nurse. The square was previously named after John C. Calhoun, a former U.S. vice president and staunch supporter of slavery from South Carolina.
David Tootle, who claimed the renaming of the square violated state law, recently appealed the decision after Chatham County Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley dismissed the lawsuit against the city in July, as previously reported.
On Tuesday, the Georgia Court of Appeals transferred the appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court after finding it to be the appropriate jurisdiction to hear the constitutional challenge.
Meanwhile, the city is set to dedicate a new ground marker on Monday to note the history what is now Taylor Square.
The new granite marker will read:
“Taylor Square. Laid out 1851. 1851 Named for John C. Calhoun, 7th U.S. Vice President. 2022 City Council removed the name Calhoun, a staunch defender of slavery. 2023 named in honor of Susie King Taylor, a formerly enslaved woman, nurse, educator, and the first African American to openly teach in the State of Georgia. Erected by the City of Savannah 2024.”
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