Freedom, Hope & Liberty Replace Confederate Generals On Hollywood Streets

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HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) -- It was an emotional and sometime ugly battle in Hollywood over three street names -- Forrest, Hood and Lee.  They were named after confederate generals one of them was a grand wizard of the K-K-K.  Two of those streets run through Liberia, a historically black neighborhood in Hollywood. But now those street names are changing.

"When I looked up and saw the sign I almost jumped out of the car," said Linda Hill Anderson. "It was very exciting to see a change."

Anderson was one of three people who began to push to change the names. Anderson grew up on Hood Street.

Many of the new signs are up.  Now Hood is Hope Street.

Forrest is changed to Freedom and Lee is switching to Liberty.

"You think about the Statue of Liberty," said Anderson. "And you think about the community and there's hope and we do have freedom and liberty."

Louise Hilson lives on Hope Street too.  She's thrilled with the name change.

"You're always going to have hope, that's me," said Hilson from her front porch. "I always going to have hope and then that's the street I live on too. It's great, fantastic."

The Hollywood City Commission voted to get rid of Forrest, Hood and Lee Streets last August and later came up with the new names.  Over the past few weeks county crews have been putting up the new signs and now, they're just about done.

"All of Freedom Street that has been done, and all of the Hope Street has been done and we're still working on getting the signs fabricated for Lee Street and that will be done in the next week or so.

Renaming the streets has cost more than $15,000 already.  The city does not pay for that, it's private money.  Right now, one person from the group to change the names is paying the bill.  They plan to start a GoFund me page to help with expenses.