In Virginia, the City of Alexandria is looking into renaming six streets with ties to the confederacy.
It’s part of a new proposed process by Mayor Justin Wilson to rename streets with Confederate references.
“Our predecessors used street naming policies as a form of permanent protest against the burgeoning civil rights movement and growing political power for African-Americans. As a symbol, these honors persist today, honoring virulent racists, many of whom took up arms against our nation. These honors are not defensible and should be removed,” Wilson said in a statement announcing the street renaming initiative.
Since then, 63 streets have been singled out, three of which will be chosen each year for renaming. The City Council Naming Committee said it determined the order of streets to be renamed “based on household and commercial impact as well as historical significance.”
Wilson said that he believed it was the right move for the city to take, calling the decision to slowly change the names “a reasonable, yet deliberate” decision.
“While it is important to remove these inappropriate honors, it is also important to consider the practical concerns as thousands of Alexandria residents and visitors use these existing street names to navigate our community,” Wilson said.
The current roads under consideration include North Breckinridge Place, North Frost Street and North and South Early Street.
Officials said a public hearing will be held on Nov. 30 so community members can weigh in on proposed names or suggest alternatives.
Five selected streets were named for Confederate military leaders after the city passed an ordinance in 1953, according to officials.
A map of impacted streets is available online.
WTOP’s Ivy Lyons contributed to this report.
