WLBT 3 - Jackson, MS: Northside Library named for late newspaper publisher

Northside Library named for late newspaper publisher

By David Kenney - bio | email

JACKSON, MS (WLBT) - A debate over naming a Jackson library has ended with a vote by Jackson City Council. Tuesday morning, council members voted 5-to-2 in favor of naming the Northside Drive library after late Jackson publisher Charles Tisdale.

In recent weeks, several residents had started a campaign to name the library after mississippi author ellen douglas.

Councilman Jeff Weill, who voted against naming the library after Tisdale, said he received thousands of signatures on a petition, demanding it be named after Douglas. Weill and Council Woman Margaret Barrett-Simon were the only ones to vote no.

"Your station did a request of the public asking if it should be named after Charles Tisdale and it came back 77-percent saying no that it should not be named after Mr. Tisdale. said Barrett-Simon. "So again I think it reflects the council's feelings but not the feelings of the public."

Barrett-Simon said she believed the council was obligated to name the library after an author who brought worldwide recognition to Mississippi.

Tisdale was a controversal figure and editor of the Jackson Advocate, a newspaper with mainly African American readership.

Ellen Douglas supporters say they now plan to have her name honored in another way.

©2009 WLBT. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.