As part of his work with a makerspace in Fairfax County, Virginia, David Martosko was asked to make a poster for a Juneteenth picnic last year.
That prompted him to wonder what Northern Virginia residents do to celebrate Juneteenth. So, he started researching various things about the African American community in Burke, where he lives. He kept coming across the name Silas Burke, and ultimately learned the town is named after the 19th century slaveholder.
Now, Martosko is leading an effort to change the name of the town from Burke to “Fenton.” Fenton was one of several children Burke owned, and the first one he bought, Martosko said.
“At the end of the exercise, I said, ‘I’ve discovered too many just awful things for me to just say well, that’s interesting, and I’m not going to do anything about it,'” Martosko told WTOP.
While researching more about Burke, Martosko learned Burke oversaw slave auctions while he was a judge and school board member. Burke owned 14 people when he died, Martosko said, and at the time of the 1850 census, there were nine children at his house recorded as enslaved.
Many people, Martosko said, are unaware of Burke’s past. Even the local historical society told him that “Silas Burke was sort of an enigma to them.”
Because Burke isn’t incorporated under Virginia’s laws, Martosko is going to have to petition the U.S. Board of Geographic Names to make the change. Before then, though, he’s hosting public meetings about the possible name switch. The first meeting is scheduled in less than two weeks, he said.
Martosko has also met with local and state lawmakers, and “nobody has told me this is a bad idea.”
After the public sessions, Martosko said he will “write the official proposal in a way that I think reflects what the community thinks. It’s not just me. This is not about me. This is about my neighbors and friends, all of whom I believe act on their consciences.”
Burke’s name also appears on 15 streets, several shopping centers, public parks, churches and residential developments, Martosko said. However, he’s focusing on changing just the town’s name for now.
“What I want to happen is for some kids to say, ‘Hey Dad, we live in Fenton. How come all these things are named Burke? Oh, let me tell you,'” Martosko said. “The juxtaposition creates teachable moments, and that’s the whole point.”
Changing the name to Fenton, Martosko said, “is absolutely perfect, because we’re forced to face the truth, that not all the slaves were adults who could run away. Not all slaves were men and women. A lot of them were boys and girls.”
More information about Martosko’s efforts is available online.
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