It has been said that racism is ‘built into the very bones’ of Mississippi. It is time to step away from our dark past and forge a new path that reflects who we are and desire to become. Forrest County is a prime example. In 1908, it was named after Nathan Bedford Forrest who was a Confederate General during the Civil War and one of the earliest members in the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) and became  it’s first grand wizard (leader). He was a slave trader/owner and had two cotton plantations. Additionally, Forrest led the Confederate massacre of over 100 black Union troops after the surrender at Fort Pillow, April 12, 1864. Military historian David J. Eicher concluded: "Fort Pillow marked one of the bleakest, saddest events of American military history." 

A letter from one of Forrest's own sergeants, Achilles V. Clark, writing to his sisters on April 14, reads in part:

The slaughter was awful. Words cannot describe the scene. The poor deluded negros would run up to our men fall on their knees and with uplifted hands scream for mercy but they were ordered to their feet and then shot down. The fort turned out to be a great slaughter pen. Blood, human blood stood about in pools and brains could have been gathered up in any quantity. I with several others tried to stop the butchery and at one time had partially succeeded but Gen. Forrest ordered them shot down like dogs and the carnage continued. Finally our men became sick of blood and the firing ceased.” 

Do we really want anything named after this cruel and racist man? We want a brighter future for the citizens of Mississippi and that starts by correcting past errors. We can no longer allow our past to dictate our future. Allowing our counties and schools to perpetuate the legacies of despicable people isn’t the way to accomplish that. Now is the time for change! Now is the time to put racial discrepancies in the past and leave them there. We want our children living in places that aren’t daily reminders of our intolerable past. Allowing the county to continue to light the legacy of a racist man who wasn’t even from Mississippi isn’t progressive or good for the hard working Americans of all races in our beautiful Magnolia state. It does not represent the people of today's time. I am a Mississippi native. My family has deep roots in Forrest County. Mississippians like myself want better and I believe that we can do better. If you want to change the name of this county, please help by signing this petition and sending donations to spread awareness. Let’s change the name to someone honorable instead. For example, we could change it to:

Dahmer County - Civil Rights leader Vernon Dahmer who was president of the NAACP in Hattiesburg, MS Forrest County chapter. He was killed by KKK members for recruiting African-Americans to vote.

Evers County - Medgar Evers was a Civil Rights activist who was also a leader of the NAACP. He was a World War II veteran who served in the US army.

Hamer County - Fannie Lou Hamer was a leader in the Civil Rights movement who supported voters and women rights.

Victoria County - Victoria Jackson Gray Adams was a Hattiesburg native who was one of the founding members of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. She was also a Civil Rights activist and lived in Forrest County. 

Mitchell County - Jerry W. Mitchell is a reporter who convinced authorities to reopen cold murder cases from the Civil Rights Era. Mitchell's work has so far helped put at least four Klansmen behind bars. Many have been influenced/inspired by him.

These are just a few examples of great Mississippians that deserve to be immortalized with the honor of having a county named after them. Let’s be the change that we want to see in the world. Let’s honor someone who’s legacy actually deserves to be remembered forever while showing the entire world that white supremacy is no longer welcome in our great state.