As communities and politicians across the country look for ways to honor conservative icon Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed on Sept. 10, the Escambia County Commission voted unanimously not to rename a street in Pensacola after him following more than two hours of contentious testimony from residents.
Commission Chair Mike Kohler proposed the idea to rename a portion of North 65th Avenue to either “Charlie Kirk Way” or “Turning Point USA Road” after the national college activist organization Kirk co-founded.
It was a rare roadblock in a national drive to commemorate a controversial figure many saw as a relentless champion for conservative viewpoints, free speech, Christianity, family values and President Donald Trump.
Here’s what to know.
Who is Charlie Kirk?
Kirk, 31, was an influential political activist, author, radio host and podcaster who rose to prominence through his appearances at college and university campuses where he would debate his hard-line conservative views with all comers.
Kirk has been credited for inspiring and rallying young conservatives to fight (and vote) for personal freedom against what he called dangerous liberal ideas, but he has also outraged millions with his views on abortion, civil rights, gender issues, gay marriage and gun rights.
He was assassinated during one of those debates, in front of about 3,000 students at Utah Valley University on the first stop of “The American Comeback Tour.”
Where was the road proposed to be named after Charlie Kirk?
The name change was proposed for North 65th Avenue in Pensacola, Florida, between West Fairfield Drive and Lillian Highway. It runs in front of Escambia High School.
What did people say about the proposed Charlie Kirk road?
While some community members spoke in favor of the idea, many were very much against it, questioning why the county should name a road after someone with no obvious connection to the area.
Many critics brought up the problem of naming a road in front of a high school known for previous racial tensions after a controversial figure perceived by many to be racially divisive. In 1976, a riot occurred between White and Black students over removing the name “Rebels” and the Confederate flag from the school.
Kirk has said he felt the Civil Rights Act, while passed with good intentions, was a “huge mistake” due to what he considered abuses of it since its passage, that diversity intiatives caused people like him to wonder if Black pilots were qualified, and said he had changed his mind about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whom he previously called a hero but later called “awful” and “not a good person.”
Hohler ultimately withdrew the proposal, which he said was to condemn political violence, and the commission voted to strike it from the agenda.
How is Charlie Kirk getting honored?
Rendering of Charlie Kirk statue
Trump, who first announced Kirk’s death and called him “Great, and even Legendary,” ordered flags across the nation to be flown at half-staff and said he was going to posthumously award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also praised Kirk when he directed the flags of the State of Florida also to be lowered.
More than a dozen GOP lawmakers signed a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson requesting a monument to Kirk be placed in the United States Capitol. New College of Florida in Sarasota announced it would commission a statue of him, to be placed on campus “as a commitment by New College to defend and fight for free speech and civil discourse in American life,” said Jamie Miller, vice president of communications and chief marketing officer.
Mourners attended vigils across the nation for Kirk and a tribute held at Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 14 featured Trump administration officials, Republican lawmakers, and other supporters. Several NFL teams held a moment of silence at games over the weekend. A public memorial service is planned for Sunday, Sept. 21, in Glendale, Arizona.
Multiple political leaders have called for streets to be renamed in honor of the slain activist, including Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey and the Bay County Republican Party of Florida.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Charlie Kirk Pensacola road naming rejected, here’s why
