PEARL, Miss. (AP) — The Pearl agency that promotes the city’s business community is located on George Wallace Drive, named after the former segregationist governor of Alabama.

The Pearl Chamber of Commerce has asked the city to change the street to Commerce Drive, a name chamber president Gene Newman called “more appropriate.”

“The main purpose is (because) it’s named after somebody in Alabama. We ain’t in Alabama. It’s that simple,” Newman tells The Clarion-Ledger. Wallace is infamous for declaring “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” in his 1963 inaugural address.

The Pearl Board of Alderman took up the matter at its Dec. 20 meeting, but the item was tabled until January. Aldermen expressed concerns that constituents, particularly those who live or own businesses on that street, were not involved in the decision to change it.

“We just wanted to make sure they were aware that this change was being talked about and give them time to make necessary adjustments with their bank accounts and things like that,” said District 4 Alderman Casey Foy, who proposed holding the matter but made clear that he is not against the proposed renaming.

District 6 Alderman Gavin Gill, a history teacher who worked at Forrest Hill High School when it changed its mascot from the “Rebels” to the “Patriots” in 2008, knows the contention that comes with these kinds of changes.

“There are some people that have lived on that road for a long, long, long time and do not see an issue with the name and don’t want to change their addresses … I’m a representative of the people. If the people want it changed, then so be the will of the people,” Gill said, adding that none of his constituents has contacted him to share their opinion on the proposal.

Pearl’s proposed street renaming comes at a time when the state is also considering changing the design of its state flag, which currently features the Confederate battle flag emblem.

Newman could not speak to the street name’s negative affect on the chamber, but acknowledged that some people remember Wallace for his racist remarks as opposed to other aspects of his administration.

“There’s a perception out there by somebody that it has a negative connotation. I can’t say what somebody else thinks. If it was, I certainly wouldn’t want it to affect the chamber,” Newman said.