In a recent poll by The Political Matrix of 848 Escambia County residents, we found that 55.7% would like a monument commission implemented to look at recommending monuments and statues honoring people and events of Pensacola’s history in the 20th and 21st centuries. Only 28.5% opposed the idea and 15.8% needed more information.
Escambia County
Commissioners Jeff Bergosh and Lumon May’s districts were the most supportive. Â All demographic groups and political affiliations liked the idea.
With 2021 being the 200th Anniversary of the City of Pensacola, do you think a monument commission should be implemented to look at recommending monuments and statues honoring people and events of the city’s history in the 20th and 21st centuries?
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Bergosh | Underhill | May | Bender | Barry | |
| Yes | 62.9% | 56.1% | 59.6% | 50.6% | 50.4% |
| No | 25.1% | 28.4% | 26.7% | 28.6% | 34.8% |
| Need more info | 12.0% | 15.5% | 13.7% | 20.8% | 14.9% |
| Age | 18-21 | 22-34 | 35-44 | 45+64 | 65+ |
| Yes | 59.1% | 54.7% | 57.3% | 53.1% | 56.8% |
| No | 15.9% | 23.1% | 26.8% | 32.6% | 29.5% |
| Need more info | 25.0% | 22.2% | 15.9% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| Race | White | Black | Other | ||
| Yes | 54.5% | 62.5% | 57.1% | ||
| No | 30.4% | 19.5% | 25.7% | ||
| Need more info | 15.1% | 18.0% | 17.1% | ||
| Party | Dems | GOP | NPA | ||
| Yes | 62.5% | 51.6% | 54.2% | ||
| No | 20.8% | 33.1% | 30.2% | ||
| Need more info | 16.7% | 15.3% | 15.6% |
City of Pensacola
| Response | % | ||||||
| Yes | 131 | 53% | |||||
| No | 66 | 27% | |||||
| Need more info | 51 | 21% | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| Wu | Myers | Terhaar | Moore | Jerralds | Hill | Cannada-Wynn | |
| Yes | 47.4% | 58.8% | 56.8% | 42.1% | 57.6% | 66.7% | 42.9% |
| No | 26.3% | 17.6% | 29.7% | 36.8% | 21.2% | 242.0% | 28.6% |
| Need more info | 26.3% | 23.5% | 13.5% | 21.1% | 21.2% | 9.1% | 28.6% |
Top of the list should be a monument honoring Native Americans. “Chief” George Dodge has discussed this for many years. Parcel 9 at the Community Maritime Park might be a good site for the monument already owned by the city. I think the monument should be large enough to see across the bay in Gulf Breeze. I recently told George the public would support the project with private contributions and perhaps foundations would chip in money too. However, someone has to design a project and bring it forward. A funding option might be for the county to use tourism development tax revenues. The term “monument” is not expressly described as an authorized use but the state law could be amended in 2021. Further, because the term “museum” is an authorized use, the monument could be built as an integral part of a museum focused on the history of Native Americans not just locally but on the Gulf Coast. It might make sense to let the UWF Historic Trust oversee the site and perhaps even others such as an American Civil War park on the site of the current Lee Square with other monuments to honor the Union dead, the contributions of the U.S. Colored Troops and also the civilians who died in the war mostly forgotten by history.