Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn hosted a town hall on Tuesday (April 20) to talk about public places in Fairfax County named after Confederates.
The discussion was based on the Fairfax County History Commission’s 539-page inventory, which was first released in December and details the history and context of each place named after a prominent Confederate figure.
The project traces its roots to last summer, when the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors directed the commission to study the legal and financial implications of possible name changes throughout the county.
The commission determined that, out of about 26,500 total named places in the county, approximately 157 streets, parks, monuments, subdivisions, and public places in Fairfax County bear names with ties to the Confederacy.
“This research confirmed…that Fairfax County was a crossroads of war,” Fairfax County History Commissioner Barbara Naef said. “Combatants of both Union and Confederates flourished, camped, marched, clashed, and suffered both victory and defeat here.”
In addition to cataloging sites, the report provides appropriate context, history, and narrative for possible name change discussions, including a dive into “Lost Cause” ideology, its pervasiveness in Fairfax County, and how it influenced the naming of places.
The Lost Cause ideology encompasses myths used to rationalize Confederacy sympathy, mainly that the Civil War was not fought over slavery, the pre-war Southern way of life is to be celebrated, and that prominent figures like Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee didn’t believe in slavery.
“There was an urging by some to exclude it from the report altogether or soften its tone,” Naef said. “These reactions prove the point. The perspective of the Lost Cause has been embraced by generations.”
In its report, the History Commission recommended making the inventory available to the public via the Fairfax County Public Library, which is currently the case, and using the report as a guide for “a robust public process for considering future actions.”
The Hunter Mill District town hall is one of the first steps in that process, members of the commission at the meeting noted.
Within the Hunter Mill District, there are believed to be four places named after Confederates: Fort Lee Street, Lee Manor, the Mosby’s Landing condominium complex, and Wade Hampton Drive.
Fort Lee Street in Herndon and Lee Manor along Lee Highway near Vienna both derive their names from Robert E. Lee.
Fort Lee Street was named in the mid-1970s when Fox Mill Inc. developed the Folkstone subdivision, while Lee Manor is directly tied to Lee Highway, which is in the process of being renamed.
The Virginia General Assembly passed a bill in February, allowing Arlington to rename their portion of Lee Highway.
Mosby’s Landing in Vienna takes its name from John Mosby, a Confederate commander who was also known as the “Gray Ghost.” The condo complex was built on the site where legend says that Mosby and his horse hid out from Union soldiers.
Vienna’s Wade Hampton Drive is named after a Confederate lieutenant general who reportedly led a unit of 600 men and horses down the road in 1865. After the war, Hampton criticized Reconstruction and worked to suppress the vote among South Carolina’s Black population when he became governor of the state.
According to the history commission, the Town of Vienna named the street after Hampton in recognition of the Civil War’s 100th anniversary. The town is currently in the process of having the road’s name changed.
“The town has appointed an ad hoc group to look at this street name and consider alternatives,” Fairfax County History Commissioner Anne Stuntz said.
While the Commission’s charge was to examine places named after Confederates, several residents suggested that places named after individuals involved in the “Mass Resistance” movement opposing school integration should also be re-examined.
Examples include former Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent W.T. Woodson, who opposed desegregation and still has a high school bearing his name, though schools were overall not included in the history commission’s inventory.
Commenters also mentioned Carter Glass, a state senator who developed laws intended to prevent Black people from voting, including Virginia’s poll tax.
For years, the library at Lake Anne Plaza in Reston was named after Glass. Today, that building is now the Reston Museum.
Photo via Fairfax County/YouTube
Former Falls Church resident and civil rights pioneer Edwin Bancroft Henderson is one of five Black Virginians being honored with a new series of highway plaques aimed at highlighting Black history throughout the state.
Options for the new markers were submitted by Virginia students, and of the 100 submissions, five were chosen.
According to a press release from the Governor’s office:
Henderson, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame known as the “Father of Black Basketball,” organized athletic leagues for African Americans, wrote The Negro in Sports (1939), organized the first rural chapter of the NAACP, and was president of the NAACP Virginia state conference as he worked for civil rights.
The recognition also comes after years of work by Henderson’s grandson to get his grandfather’s contributions to civil rights recognized, along with his promotion of physical fitness in young Black athletes and work to document Black sports, as reported by Northern Virginia Magazine.
The marker for Henderson was suggested by Sullivan Massaro from Kings Glen Elementary in Springfield, Virginia.
“The Historical Marker Contest helped me learn more about Black Virginians who have made a difference, like Dr. Edwin Henderson,” Massaro said in the press release. “Dr. Henderson introduced the sport of basketball to Black athletes in Washington, D.C. and is a big part of why basketball is so popular today. As I researched him I learned how much he did not only for the sport of basketball, but for civil rights in Virginia. I couldn’t believe that he did not already have a historical marker, so I chose to nominate him for the contest.”
In 2013, Henderson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Edwin Henderson II, grandson of Edwin Bancroft Henderson, said the marker will help secure his grandfather’s legacy and spread awareness of the local piece of Black history.
“On behalf of the Henderson Family, I’d like to express my deep appreciation to Sullivan and his teacher Ms. Maura Keaney for the recognition of Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson’s accomplishments in Virginia by placing a historic marker in front of his home in the City of Falls Church,” Edwin Henderson II said. “This contest is part of an important effort to intertwine African American history into all school curriculum, and ensure that Virginia’s diverse history is represented honestly in classrooms across the Commonwealth.”
Image via University of the District of Columbia
The Town of Vienna is leading the way in Virginia with a newly conceived celebration of four amendments to the U.S. Constitution that enshrined the rights of people of color and women.
The town announced on Friday (March 12) that planning for the inaugural Liberty Amendments Month celebration is officially underway, and community organizations, businesses and individuals are encouraged to help shape the four weeks of festivities.
Liberty Amendments Month is the brainchild of Vienna Town Manager Mercury Payton, and the Vienna Town Council adopted a resolution on Dec. 7 to officially recognize the occasion. It has since been ratified by the Virginia General Assembly as well.
“We all can celebrate these amendments that ensure rights and liberties for each of us,” Payton said.
Patrons of the now-passed bill included Del. Mark Keam (D-Vienna) and state Sen. Mamie Locke (D-Hampton), who was one of Payton’s professors at Hampton University, Inside NOVA reports.
“I’m so proud that the Town of Vienna is leading the way in initiating this holiday and month-long commemoration of these fundamental rights that we all cherish,” Mayor Linda Colbert said. “I’m especially proud that Town Manager Mercury Payton came up with the idea and has worked hard to see it become a reality.”
In the wake of last summer’s racial justice protests, Payton conceived of Liberty Amendments Month as a celebration of the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th Constitutional amendments, which abolished slavery, granted citizenship to anyone born or naturalized in the U.S., and extended voting rights to all citizens regardless of race and gender.
Liberty Amendments Month will begin on June 19 — also known as Juneteenth — with an educational event that will “offer a thoughtful reflection on the liberties assured by these four amendments to the U.S. Constitution,” according to the town.
Each of the next four weeks will be dedicated to one of the four liberty amendments with contests, lectures, classes, themed restaurant specials, walks, art exhibits, films, and performances.
The celebration will culminate on July 19 with a multicultural festival featuring food, drinks, crafts, and entertainment from around the world. The Vienna Town Council has designated that day as Liberty Amendments Day, replacing Columbus Day on its list of official holidays.
“There’s lots to celebrate here,” Councilmember Chuck Anderson said. “This is going to be a people’s event just as the Constitution is the people’s document.”
Groups interested in sponsoring, participating in, or hosting events can apply online by April 1.
The town is advising planners to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions and social-distancing guidelines, which could still be in place this summer.
Planning meetings will be held at 5 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Interested organizations can contact [email protected] for a Zoom link to the meetings or more details.
Photo via Town of Vienna
The Oral History Committee of Historic Vienna, Inc. is documenting residents’ memories of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The committee is asking town residents and businesses to submit representations of the way they were affected by, coped with, or reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stories can explore anything “you think is important to be remembered about this unprecedented time in history,” according to the “COVID Impressions” project webpage.
Possible topics include experiences with unemployment or virtual schools and the impact of the pandemic on relationships with friends or pets. Submissions can take the form of different mediums, including a short text description, a photograph, a poem, or a piece of art.
The collection will be presented on the Historic Vienna, Inc. website and preserved in the archives.
“Together the reflections we gather will capture a variety of our Vienna residents’ experiences,” the committee says.
For their submissions to be accepted, residents must fill out a release form. Submissions may be anonymous if desired but the release form still needs to be submitted.
Historic Vienna, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to preserving the Town of Vienna’s history by hosting public events, supporting the preservation of historic properties, and operating the Freeman Store and Museum, which is currently open during limited hours with strict health protocols in place.
According to its “Vienna Stories” website, Historic Vienna has been preserving local history through recorded interviews since it was established in 1976. Most recently, it launched a new initiative to collect oral histories from longtime area residents in 2013.
Transcripts and videos can be found on the nonprofit’s blog and YouTube channel.
Submissions for the COVID-19 stories exhibit and the accompanying release form can be sent to the oral history committee at [email protected].
Photo by Michelle Goldchain
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Monday (Feb. 22)
- Doktor Kaboom! “Look Out! Science is Coming!” (Online) — 4 p.m. — Doktor Kaboom is a comedian with a passion for science. DC Theatre Scene says he’s “better than Bill Nye.” He will be performing a family-friendly show today, including three demonstrations of experiments that viewers can do with him. Go to the McLean Community Center website to register and find the supplies list for the experiments.
Tuesday (Feb. 23)
- Waterfowl at Burke Lake Park — 10-11 a.m. at Burke Lake Park (7315 Ox Rd.) — Burke Lake Park is hosting a search for winter waterfowl. Park staff will run a program taking participants around the lake in search of creatures such as loons, lesser scaups and ring-necked ducks. The registration fee for this event is $8 per person.
- Climate Planning Meeting on Energy (Online) — 7 p.m. — Fairfax County will hold a public meeting of presentations and discussion on energy issues related to the Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan, or CECAP. Experts from the consulting firm ICF will be facilitating and presenting at this meeting.
Thursday (Feb. 25)
- Online Book Discussion (Online) — 1-2 p.m. — The staff of Patrick Henry Public Library in Vienna will lead an online discussion about the novel “An American Marriage” by Tayari Jones. Register in advance through the link above to reserve a spot for the event.
- Drawing Animal Eyes — 7-9 p.m. at Annandale District Park (7701 Royce St.) — The Hidden Oaks Nature Center is hosting an event for participants ages 16 and up to learn how to draw animal eyes. Participants will have the option of using pencils, colored pencils and watercolors to create their masterpiece. The cost is $15 per person and masks and social distancing will be required.
Friday (Feb. 26)
- BRAWS Presents: Mardi Bras (Online) — 8-9 p.m. — BRAWS (Bringing Resources to Aid Women’s Shelters) is hosting a fundraiser to support women and girls gain access to items such as pads, tampons, and underwear. The Vienna-based nonprofit says the need for these products has tripled over the last year, making funding more critical than ever. The event is free, but advance registration is required too receive a link, and people can support the cause by becoming a sponsor, participating in the silent auction, or purchasing a raffle ticket.
- A Taste of California (Online) — 6:30-7:45 p.m. — A virtual wine tasting hosted by Vienna Vinter’s owner, Victor Mendez, will feature three wines from Mendez’s winery in California. Register by contacting Vienna Vinter at 703- 242-9463 or [email protected]. The $75 or $120 fee includes access to the zoom link for the tasting and two or three bottles of wine, and 20% of the proceeds will be donated when customers mention the Shepherd’s Center
- Family Fun Trivia Night (Online) — 7-9 p.m. — The McLean Community Center is hosting a family-friendly, virtual trivia night. Registration is required and the price is $5 per team. There will be prizes for the winning teams.
Saturday (Feb. 27)
- Book Club (Online) — 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. — The McLean Community Center is hosting the first in a series of book club meetings. They will meet monthly and move through multiple genres. The group is free, but interested participants should register on the McLean Community Center website.
Sunday (Feb. 28)
- 1st Look Series (Online) — 2 p.m. — 1st Stage in Tysons will live-stream excerpts of shows that it has commissioned from solo artists in its new “1st Look” series. The first installment will feature work by Jasmin Cardenas and James J. Johnson that explores, respectively, the experiences of low-wage and undocumented factory workers and Black fatherhood. The previews will be followed by discussions with the playwrights. Attendees should register in advance for the free Zoom event.
Photo via Danielle Brigida/Flickr
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Tuesday (Feb. 16)
- Mystery Book Group (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library’s mystery book group will discuss Cara Black’s “Murder in Bel-Air” for its February meeting. Register with Fairfax County Public Library for a link to the event.
Wednesday (Feb. 17)
- Harlem Renaissance and Black Arts Movement (Online) — 7-7:30 p.m. — The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter is sponsoring a discussion about the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s and the Black Arts Movement that was active during the 1960s and 1970s. Register for the online event through Fairfax County Public Library.
Thursday (Feb. 18)
- Middle School Book Club (Online) — 4-5 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s book club for sixth to eighth-grade kids will discuss the young adult novel “Tangerine” by Edward Bloor for its February meeting. Email Laura Miller at [email protected] for the Zoom link.
- Vision Board Workshop (Online) — 6 p.m. — The Boro in Tysons is holding a virtual workshop with the art studio CraftJam on vision boarding, which involves creating a collage of images or objects that reflect your goals for the future. Participants should register in advance to reserve a spot and receive a list of suggested materials.
Friday (Feb. 19)
- Mayor’s Walk — 9:30 a.m. at Vienna Town Hall (127 Center St. S) — Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert will take her monthly stroll from town hall to give community members an opportunity to chat or ask a question.
- Virtual Black History Program (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — Fairfax County is celebrating February as Black History Month with a night of discussion and music. Speakers will include Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, County Executive Bryan Hill, Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, and George Mason University Director of African and African-American Studies Mark Hopson. The event will also feature hip-hop artist Dumi RIGHT and musical selections from actor Amber Iman, The Hamilton Brothers, and more. The event will stream live on TV and online through Channel 16, and it will be available to view on demand afterwards.
- Virtual Family Bingo Night (Online) — 7-9 p.m. — Preregistration is recommended for the McLean Community Center Old Firehouse’s virtual bingo night, which will feature games and prizes. The event costs $5 per person for five bingo cards.
Saturday (Feb. 20)
- McLean CBC Virtual Open House (Online) — 9-11 a.m. — Fairfax County is holding a virtual community open house to discuss the latest draft of its revised comprehensive plan for the McLean Community Business District. The meeting can be attended through WebEx.
- Fairfax COVID-19 Vaccine Information Session (Online) — 10-11 a.m. — AARP is hosting a talk about the COVID-19 vaccine with Fairfax County Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, who can answer questions about how the vaccine works, how much it costs, and the process for getting vaccinated. Register for the virtual event through AARP’s website.
- Freedom and Dance for All (Online) — 1-2 p.m. — Educator and author Clarence McFerren II will talk about dance as a freeing outlet for Black communities in the face of social injustice. Vienna’s Patrick Henry Public Library is organizing the event, and participants must register in advance to receive a link.
Photo via Dr. Wendy Longo/Flickr
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Wednesday (Jan. 6)
- Wolf Trap Virtual Job Fair (Online) — 4-6 p.m. — Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts will hold a virtual job fair for people who might be interested in its open usher and maintenance positions for the 2021 performance season. Register for the webinar in advance with this link.
- McLean Police District Town Hall (Online) — 5 p.m. — The McLean District Police Station will hold a virtual town hall to discuss the Fairfax County Police Department’s new data dashboard, which provides information on arrests, citations, and department policies. The meeting can be accessed through this Zoom link, and questions can be sent to [email protected].
- General Assembly Town Hall (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — State Sen. Dick Saslaw and Del. Marcus Simon will give a preview of what to expect from the Virginia General Assembly’s upcoming 2021 session, which will convene on Jan. 13. Questions and comments can be submitted in advance through this link, and a link to the Zoom chat can be found on the City of Falls Church website.
- Hunter Mill COVID-19 Town Hall (Online) — 7 p.m. — Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is hosting a virtual town hall with Fairfax County Health Department Director Gloria Addo-Ayensu to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and local vaccine distribution plans. Questions should be sent in advance to [email protected] with “Jan 6. Town Hall” in the subject line. The meeting can be accessed through WebEx and will be streamed on YouTube.
Thursday (Jan. 7)
- The New Yorker Discussion Group (Online) — 2-3 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library hosts a talk about Joshua Rothman’s article “What If You Could Do It All Over?” from the December 2020 issue of The New Yorker. Contact Pete Sullivan at [email protected] for the Zoom invite or more information.
- A Song and a Slice: Civic Duty — 8 p.m. at Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave. E) — The D.C.-native rock band Civic Duty will perform at Jammin’ Java in Vienna. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with tickets costing $7 for general admission or $10 for the lobby. Customers are asked to adhere to social distancing protocols and wear masks when not consuming food or drinks.
Friday (Jan. 8)
- Teen Game Night — 7-9 p.m. at the Old Firehouse (1440 Chain Bridge Rd.) — Teens can come to the Old Firehouse Center in McLean to play board and party games with chances to win prizes. Admission is $20 for McLean Community Center district residents and $25 for everyone else. MCC recommends pre-registering by contacting the OFC at 703-448-8336 or online.
Saturday (Jan. 9)
- More to the Movement (Online) — 10 a.m. — Library of Congress American women’s history specialist Elizabeth A. Novara will give a presentation on women of color in the suffrage movement to the McLean area branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) for its January meeting. All are invited. Email AAUW McLean for the Zoom link.
Photo via Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts/Facebook
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors met with the Fairfax County History Commission on Tuesday (Dec. 8) to discuss Confederacy-associated street and place names across the county.
This project began over the summer when the board directed the commission to create an inventory of places and structures within the county that have ties to the Confederacy after Black Lives Matter protests spread around the country following the May 25 death of George Floyd.
The resulting report identified more than 26,000 streets and places, leading the board to narrow its focus to 650 well-known Confederate officers and locally-known Confederates. After researching those names, the Commission found 150 assets to have confirmed Confederacy-associated names, according to the presentation by Anne Stuntz, the chairwoman of the history commission.
Hunter Mill District has four identified sites: the Lee Manor Subdivision, Fort Lee Street, Mosby’s Landing Condominium Complex, and Wade Hampton Drive.
Providence District encompasses 44 sites, the most of the county’s nine magisterial districts. The list includes Lee Highway, Pender Drive, Oak Marr Park, and the Stonewall Manor subdivision.
The commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors create a public dialogue on the issue through public meetings and community gatherings before deliberating and taking definitive action on the Confederate names. The commission also recommended archiving the extensive project research in the Virginia Room at the City of Fairfax Regional Library.
Fairfax County Department of Transportation Director Tom Biesiadney said that the Commonwealth Transportation Board would require public input and a formal request from the Board of Supervisors if the county decides to petition to change the name of Lee Highway and Lee-Jackson Memorial Highway.
In response to the Confederate names project, the history commission is collaborating with local African American organizations, including religious, social, and community groups, on a 2021 initiative to compile research materials on African American communities in Fairfax County.
The county supervisors shared their appreciation for the history commission’s extensive and intricate research. They also mostly agreed that the first priority should be renaming highways, and from there, they could start a community process for renaming secondary and neighborhood streets.
Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk expressed concern regarding the history of his district’s name.
“I was hoping that there’d be something more definitive about Lee District, in terms of where its name originated, but it appears that we still have the same set of ambiguity,” Lusk said. “We will have to have a community conversation about this name of this district.”
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity warned against rushing into the name change process in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for “robust community participation” before moving forward.
Image via the Fairfax County History Commission
The results of a recent survey on whether to rename Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and George Mason High School triggered surprise, anger, and tears during a Falls Church City Public Schools School Board meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 17).
A majority of respondents — 56% overall — support keeping the names Thomas Jefferson and George Mason, two key historical figures from Virginia who publicly supported an end to slavery, while privately enslaving Black people. For George Mason, 26% support a name change, and for Thomas Jefferson, that population is 23%. The rest had no opinion.
K12 Insight, a consultant hired by the school board, surveyed parents, staff members, students in grades 6-12, and community members from Oct. 14 to 28 to gauge whether they want to see new names for the schools. For both schools, three-quarters of the community members who responded wanted to keep the names, and the margins were smaller for parents, students, and staff.
The discussion to rename the schools began on June 30. With the survey results back, school board members have scheduled a vote on whether to move forward with the name changes for Dec. 8.
Those who support changing the names cited the fact that the men participated in slavery and urged the school to embrace social change and support students who may feel marginalized.
Those who voted to keep the names responded that slavery was a norm at the time that should not disqualify these men from being honored.
School Board member Lawrence Webb, the only Black person on the board, said during a work session on Tuesday that he was surprised by the results of the survey.
“There are a lot of folks who are progressive and supportive of community relations,” he said. “I’m sort of bothered by how folks have couched this conversation of ‘This is something that was acceptable at the time.'”
Webb disagreed with those who characterized a school name change as a waste of resources. The amount of money would be “nominal,” and for George Mason, the timing would coincide with an ongoing project to build a brand new high school.
According to FCCPS, renaming George Mason would cost an estimated $96,760, and renaming Thomas Jefferson would cost around $13,500. The K12 Insight survey cost $8,500. Read More
Mosby’s Raiders led a guerrilla campaign against Union supply and communications lines throughout Northern Virginia during the Civil War. Today, Mosby Woods Elementary School honors the group’s commander, John S. Mosby, but that could change.
A public hearing on potentially renaming Mosby Woods Elementary School is scheduled for the Wednesday, Oct. 7, school board meeting. The change was proposed by Providence School Board representative Karl Frisch and at-large member Karen Keys-Gamarra.
Like countless other discussions about renaming or removing honors to the Confederacy or Confederate soldiers, there’s been vocal support and opposition to the change. Feedback emailed to the School Board fell along the now-familiar arguments that the outdated name does not represent diversity of the school district, or that Confederate leaders should be judged by contemporary rather than modern standards.
“As the parent of a 5th grader who has been at Mosby Woods since kindergarten, I strongly support changing the name,” one anonymous parent said in an email to the School Board. “We are long overdue to remove honorifics for those who fought to separate and destroy our nation.”
Potential name replacements included Mosaic Elementary School — in relation to the nearby Mosaic District — or renaming the school to honor recently deceased Chadwick Boseman, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or the less-recently deceased Alexander Hamilton.
Others made the case that Mosby was less of a cut-and-dry case, as Mosby himself wasn’t a dyed-in-the-wool secessionist the way Confederates like Jubal Early were.
“I understand and support the current movement to remove Confederate monuments, memorials, and public buildings named for Confederate leaders,” the emailer wrote. “However, I would note that the case of John Mosby is not as clear-cut as many of the others, and I would urge people to read up on this person before jumping to a conclusion. John Mosby was against slavery and secession. Although he personally opposed the Confederacy’s positions, he joined the war out of a sense of patriotism and loyalty to the state of Virginia.”
Despite Mosby’s recorded opposition to slavery, he did own a slave during the war. Mosby joined President Ulysses S. Grant’s administration in the years after the war and became a vocal opponent to the Lost Cause mythos.
If the change is approved, the Superintendent will return with a recommendation for a new name. Comments on the name change can be emailed to [email protected].
Image via FCPS