After nearly two years of thorough discussion and public engagement led by the New Orleans City Council and its advisory Street Renaming Commission (CCSRC), Lee Circle finally has a new name. With its unanimous approval on April 21, the park in the traffic roundabout at Howard and St. Charles Avenue, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee formerly stood for 133 years, will be renamed Harmony Circle.
The council voted 5-0 for the name change. Council members Freddie King III and Oliver Thomas were absent. Mayor LaToya Cantrell is expected to sign the ordinance.
The name change comes on the heels of several other historic street renaming initiatives approved by the council this year, including the renaming of Robert E Lee Boulevard to Allen Toussaint Boulevard and Slidell Street to Red Allen Way this past January. Palmer Park in the Carrollton neighborhood was renamed Marsalis Harmony Park, in honor of the family that includes Ellis Marsalis and his sons Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason. Caffin Avenue in the Lower Ninth Ward is now Fats Domino Avenue.
“I appreciate the support I received from my colleagues to relegate Lee Circle to the history books,” said council member Lesli Harris, who introduced the ordinance. “I’m proud to be a member of this council that prioritizes creating a more equitable and just New Orleans. Part of that is ensuring there is no room for hatred and racism. Harmony Circle will reflect what really matters to our city: mutuality, joy, and celebrating our beautiful
culture.”
Council President Helena Moreno said, “I’ve been proud to work alongside my colleagues to dismantle the vestiges of the Confederacy and white supremacy. This is another step in the journey to voice our community’s values of progress, equality, and tolerance in our public spaces.”
When then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the City Council removed the statue of Lee in 2017, New Orleans was among the first cities in the US to dismantle Confederate monuments. Since then, more than 157 such memorials have been removed nationwide. The pedestal where the statue of Lee was mounted in 1884 remains empty and no plans have been announced for creating a new monument at the site.
“The reasons that necessitated taking down the Robert E. Lee monument are the same reasons why Lee Circle must be renamed,” said State Representative Royce Duplessis. “I am proud to support the renaming of Lee Circle to Harmony Circle. Harmony is emblematic of New Orleans, as we celebrate blending our diversity together as a strength.”
“This city has such a rich and multicultural history,” said Mark Raymond, vice chair of the CCRSC. “When we come together, we create something better, something more than these individual cultures and traditions. We create a New Orleans that we can all take pride and joy in. Harmony Circle gives us the opportunity to unite our people rather than divide them and will be a beacon of light for future generations.”
The CCRSC issued recommendations for 37 streets, parks and other public spaces to be renamed and the process of approvals is ongoing. The circular street surrounding Harmony Park will retain is long-held name of Tivoli Circle.
