newsfromthestates.com · September 8, 2026
Georgia renames park named after minstrel songwriter, ‘father of American music’ | News From The States [ Skip to main content ](#main-content) [   Part of States Newsroom ](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/) search Sort by Latest Relevant Search Search  Stories From The States Colorado ranchers join fight against fossil fuel companies 28:57 https://play.prx.org/e?ge=prx\_14251\_3c1657e2-db5d-478b-98db-eb90ca023a81&uf=https%3A%2F%2Fpublicfeeds.net%2Ff%2F14251%2Fstoriesfromthestates.xml [   Part of States Newsroom ](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/) News ###### Georgia renames park named after minstrel songwriter, ‘father of American music’ ## Share [Bluesky](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#bluesky)[X](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#x)[Facebook](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#facebook)[Email](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#email)[Copy Link](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#copy_link)  [Georgia](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/state/georgia) [News](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/news) # Georgia renames park named after minstrel songwriter, ‘father of American music’ [Civil Rights](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/category/civil-rights) Sep 08, 2026 | 1:00 am ET By Ross Williams Share [Bluesky](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#bluesky)[X](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#x)[Facebook](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#facebook)[Email](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#email)[Copy Link](https://www.newsfromthestates.com/#copy_link)  Description Stephen C. Foster State Park has been officially renamed to Okefenokee State Park. Georgia Department of Natural Resources The Georgia Department of Natural Resources removed the name Stephen Foster from a state park, though a spokesman said the name change is unrelated to the 19th century songwriter’s association with racist minstrel music.  Okefenokee Swamp Park Nature Center. Explore Georgia What was previously the Stephen C. Foster State Park was officially renamed the Okefenokee State Park effective Tuesday. The park serves as the main entrance to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, which was [officially named](https://georgiarecorder.com/2026/07/25/okefenokee-swamp-clinches-world-heritage-status-officially-joining-ranks-of-top-natural-wonders/) a United Nations World Heritage Site in July. The change deletes the name of a man who has been called the father of American music but whose legacy has been tarnished by the association with minstrel shows, performances in which white performers wore blackface makeup and mocked African Americans with racist tropes. Foster is the author of more than 200 songs, the most popular of which were performed in minstrel acts. He is best remembered for classics like “Camptown Races” and “Oh! Susanna,” which were sung in forms that would be considered racist today. In a statement, Georgia Department of Natural Resources spokesman Austin Suhr said the name change had nothing to do with Foster’s history. Suhr said the department renamed the park in light of the World Heritage designation and ongoing improvements to facilities there, and because the new name more accurately reflects its location.  Okefenokee State Park, previously called Stephen Foster State Park, is a certified dark sky park, which means a lack of light pollution makes for ideal stargazing conditions. Rena Johnson He said the previous name has caused confusion as tourists sometimes showed up with reservations for Florida’s Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, about 50 miles away in White Springs, Florida. The previous name for the Georgia park was adopted by the state because it was already the name of a camp on the property when the state acquired it in 1954. “The decision was made in service of our core mission and values as publicly stated on our website,” he said in a phone call. “Any other noise or things coming in, that’s not really what we’re focused on as an organization.” Former Georgia NAACP president Gerald Griggs said he appreciates the name change regardless of the given reasons. “I think that there’s pressure, and there’s been pressure since 2020 throughout Georgia to recognize these symbols of racism and inequity ingrained in state monuments,” he said. Monuments to the Confederacy and proponents of white supremacy have long been a political flashpoint in Georgia. A [bill](https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70344) with the backing of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Georgia Division that aimed to protect historic monuments from removal [narrowly failed](https://georgiarecorder.com/2026/04/01/bill-backed-by-confederate-monument-defenders-knocked-down-in-the-georgia-house/) this year after a handful of Republican House members voted no or abstained from voting. Griggs said a park named after Foster would risk turning off potential visitors. A 2024 [report](https://okefenokeeworldheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/EIA_WHS_Okefenokee_2024-ready.pdf) found that the number of visitors to the Okefenokee each year could double from 800,000 to 1.6 million by 2035 if it were to become a World Heritage site. “They’re in a place where, politically, it’s not advantageous to say the real reason, but economically, it is advantageous to remove symbols of hate if you’re trying to gain an international audience,” Griggs said. Griggs said he’s hopeful the move will portend changes at other state parks with ties to unsavory parts of the past, like Stone Mountain, which contains a 90 foot by 190 foot carving of Confederate leaders and A.H. Stephens State Park, which is named for Alexander Stephens, the vice president of the Confederacy. ## Foster’s life  Stephen Foster circa 1860, Library of Congress. Foster lived from 1826 to 1864, a time when minstrel shows were the most popular American artform, said Esther Morgan-Ellis, a professor of music history at the University of North Georgia. “When I hear my niece play ‘Oh! Susanna’ on the violin, it makes me a tiny bit uncomfortable,” Morgan-Ellis said. “Because I know the original words to that song, and they are horrible. Now, my little niece doesn’t know the words, and her mom