I was born in the City of Lynchburg in central Virginia. I spent most of my life there as well. It is a beautiful city with some nice scenery, history, and kind people. I have many fond memories of the place. However, since last year there have been some calls to rename Lynchburg. From what I can tell, most of these calls are coming from people from outside of Lynchburg as all of my friends and family that still live there think that these calls to rename the city are stupid. The controversy is merely over the fact that Lynchburg has the word "lynch" in it. Lynching is widely associated with the killing of black people by racist mobs during the Jim Crow era. However, this is not the origin of the city's name.
Lynchburg was named after John Lynch, who at the age of 17 founded a ferry service in the area in 1757. People would quickly begin to settle in the area, and the settlement was officially incorporated as Lynchburg, in honor of John Lynch, in 1786. While it is true that John Lynch did own a few slaves in his early years, it is worth noting that the did set them free and became an outspoken abolitionist in his later years.
Despite these facts, some contend that Lynchburg should be renamed simply because of the modern connotation of the John Lynch's surname. What are your thoughts on this?
Personally, I think that Lynchburg should remain Lynchburg. My black friends and family (I am half-white and half-black) there think so, too. The general perception there is that this is nothing more than an attempt by woke outsiders to impose cancel culture on other people and communities. This is also more or less my opinion. Of course, as a "proud native Lynchburger", I am possibly biased here.
