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From:Agenda Item Comment <agendaitemcomment@fayetteville-ar.gov>
Sent:Saturday, September 17, 2022 4:20 PM
To:rebeccabrownthompson@yahoo.com
Cc:Agenda Comment Forward
Subject:Don't Rename Archibald Yell Blvd.
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From: rebeccabrownthompson@yahoo.com
Sent: 9/17/2022 9:20:03 PM +00:00
To: agendaitemcomment@fayetteville-ar.gov
Subject: Don't Rename Archibald Yell Blvd.
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Esteemed City Council Members:
As a resident of Fayetteville, I have been following the proposed renaming of Archibald Yell
Boulevard to Nelson Hackett Boulevard. The story of Nelson Hackett is tragic and compelling, and I
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am pleased that the Council voted in favor of a plaque on the Square commemorating Hackett and
his extraordinary courage during perhaps the darkest chapter in our history.
Hackett's legacy surely deserves a street named after him, and I understand why proponents favor
replacing the name of Archibald Yell Boulevard with Nelson Hackett's name, given Yell's role in
Hackett's extradition. Taking Yell's name away from the street will not erase his great mistake,
though. What it will do is take away a vital piece of Hackett's story -- ironically -- as well as the
memory of all the good that Archibald Yell did for the State of Arkansas.
This case reminds me a bit of the recent move to drop the name of J. William Fulbright from the
College that bears his name, and to remove his statue from the U of A campus. After what I thought
was a very thorough and comprehensive process that invited input from the entire community, that
proposal was dropped. Thanks to the proposal however, we all learned a great deal about Fulbright's
entire record, which indeed was flawed as we now look back at it through our 21st-century lens.
I believe the answer is not to remove names and monuments, but to add context to them and perhaps
erect new commemorations that add to the full narrative of our troubled past, and tell the stories of
the brave men and women who struggled for justice.
I urge the City Council to invite -- very actively and intentionally -- wider public input into this issue,
and to give serious consideration to finding another prominent and yet-unnamed new street -- of
which there are many -- to name after Nelson Hackett.
Respectfully submitted,
Rebecca Brown Thompson
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