West Point will have to rename buildings and roads named after Confederate generals due to a new federal law, Times Herald-Record reported.
This will include a road, a stone gate and Lee Barracks – all named after rebel commander Robert E. Lee, who attended and was superintendent at West Point. The school also has a road named after P.G.T. Beauregard, a five-day West Point superintendent who led the attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina.
The federal requirement comes from an annual defense bill provision and applies to all military properties – all Confederate names must be replaced in three years.
Former President Donald J. Trump vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act in December partly because he wanted the names to stay, the Times Herald-Record reported. However, Congress overrode the veto.
In June, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney – West Point is in Maloney’s district – had urged for the removal of the Confederate names. Maloney said removing tributes to men “who engaged in armed rebellion against the United States in support of racism and slavery” would help create an inclusive environment for Black cadets.
