Changes to Norman Street Linked to KKK Member Will Take About 30 Days to Go Into Effect
NORMAN, Okla. —
A street with a controversial name will undergo a change soon after the Norman City Council voted Tuesday to remove its link to a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
The City Council unanimously voted to rename DeBarr Avenue to Deans Row Avenue. The city manager said the street had its name for more than 100 years and honored Edwin DeBarr, a KKK grand wizard and former University of Oklahoma professor.
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DeBarr was forced out of the university in 1923 when school officials learned that he was a member of the KKK.
DeBarr’s name will be removed from the street in the next 30 days and will be replaced by a name to honor former university deans. Once everyone is notified about the change, city officials will make the move to change the street signs.
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