VALDOSTA — The People’s Tribunal is demanding the Valdosta City Council vote on the renaming of Forrest Street.

Tribunal president Rev. Floyd Rose said the civil rights group will be present at the next council meeting, which will be held at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11, at City Hall.

The group asserts Forrest was named after Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan founder Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Naysayers believe it was named after black businessman Elbert Forrest. Research shows Forrest Street was originally written Forest Street, with one “r.” 

Rose said if the council does not vote during the meeting, a notification should be made to the tribunal to let members know when a vote will take place.

“We just want them to vote on it, and if they say no, fine, that’s them,” Rose said. “Then we will do what we have to do.”

The tribunal has said it will hold a public march if the group does not receive answers from the city, Rose said.

“If they vote for it, then there won’t be a need to march,” he said. “If they don’t vote for it, we’ll march.”

He confirmed members will not move forward with gaining the required 171 signatures on a petition as city officials has asked.

The tribunal has previously submitted a petition with 114 signatures, though the city said only 40 were acceptable.

“We’re not doing it,” Rose said. “We’re not going to look at one thing in the charter, and then let them tell us to do something else that’s not in the charter just because they want it done.”

The tribunal has recently submitted two open records requests, one of which regarded the number of people in an apartment complex that can sign a petition to rename roads.

Rose said the city has not responded to this request. 

Amanda Usher is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. She can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1274.