It was a moment to take it all in. Norman Francis sat under a street sign Thursday morning that bears his name.
The new signs went up in recent weeks, but the formal dedication happened Thursday morning.
The street was originally named Hagan Avenue. That changed in 1910 when it was renamed for Jefferson Davis, the lone president of the Confederacy.
It now honors Francis, the longtime president of Xavier University and a civil rights pioneer.
"Make the changes and make them now. Don't wait,” he said during the dedication ceremony. “Too late to build the well when the house is on fire.”
While there was a lot of celebration for the renaming of Jefferson Davis Parkway to Norman C. Francis Parkway, there's still a lot of debate about names of dozens of other streets and high-profile places around the city that could get new names in the not-too-distant future.
The Street Renaming Commission is set to submit its list of suggested name changes to the City Council. That list is due next month. The suggested changes largely focus on names that honor Confederates or white supremacists.
“We showed who we in New Orleans are now choosing to honor and revere,” City Council President Helena Moreno said during the dedication ceremony for Norman Francis Parkway.
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One high-profile location that has been suggested for renaming is Lee Circle, which honors the Confederate general.
A suggested new name: Leah Chase Circle, in honor of the civil rights leader and chef.
Charles Marsala, who heads up the American Italian Federation of the Southeast, pointed out that a report from the commission notes the name is
legally still Tivoli Circle.
He said it should revert back to its original name, which honors an Italian town.
It's just one of dozens of suggestions that will have to be considered in the coming weeks.
The Street Renaming Commission is accepting recommendations on their website: www.nolaccsrc.org.