Connecting Fairfax City's Past and Present to Build a More Equitable and Inclusive Future
On July 12, 2022, City Council voted to change the names of 14 streets as recommended by the Stakeholder Advisory Group. Watch the meeting.
UPDATE July 12, 2022: City Council voted to change 14 street names. Watch the meeting. If you would like to submit names for consideration, please complete the survey.
Connecting Fairfax City for All
The City of Fairfax recognizes there is strength in diversity and acknowledges the need for a broader community conversation around the issues of racial and social equity, systemic racism, symbolism, and identity.
Evolving views about who and what should be memorialized in public spaces and on public land present an opportunity for the City of Fairfax to examine its nomenclature. Confederate-related street and place names, historical markers and monuments, and elements in the city seal will be discussed in the context of how these symbols reflect the City Council’s goals of inclusivity and building community.
City residents are invited to participate in thought-provoking conversations that connect current realities with the city’s historical past. Ultimately, through a series of listening and learning opportunities, the goal is to connect the present to a more equitable and inclusive future for all city residents, businesses, and visitors.
“This initiative, endorsed by the City Council, holds great promise for our city residents to engage with each other with respect, compassion, and an openness to learning and gaining a greater understanding of each other,” said City of Fairfax Mayor David Meyer. “This is an opportunity for all of us to discern what actions we may take to create a preferred future that is inclusive and more just and equitable.”
Partnership with George Mason University
To accomplish this work, the city has partnered with the George Mason University Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. Working with the Carter School, the city has outlined a process to listen to community voices, engage the community in learning sessions and structured, facilitated discussions, and will form a diverse working group to make recommendations on action items and identify areas for further community discussion. City Council will consider the recommendations in 2021 before making decisions regarding the city’s nomenclature.
Please explore this project site, drop a pin on the map, share your ideas, tell your story, or leave a comment. Click on the social media icons to share with others.
Videos
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The first Connecting Fairfax City for All listening and learning session was held February 4, 2021. City of Fairfax Historic Resources Director Susan Gray presented “Fairfax: Crossroads of Conflict in the American Civil War, 1861-65: How Those Events and Personalities Have Been Memorialized and Interpreted.”
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Historian Brent Tarter, author and editor of the Library of Virginia’s Discovering Virginia Biography, presented “The 1902 Virginia Constitution: White Supremacy and Disenfranchisement” on February 25. (Presentation begins at the eight-minute mark.)
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Jarrod Elwell and Michelle Juma from Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. presented “The History of Now: Racial Equity and Housing in the City of Fairfax."
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Mark C. Hopson, Ph.D., Director of African and African American Studies, and Associate Professor of Communications at George Mason University presented “Reimagining America: Why All the Protests? Having ‘The Talk’ about Race and Racism."
He is joined by Gina Castle, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Saint John’s University and author of Talking Black and White: An Intercultural Exploration of 21st Century Racism, Prejudice and Perception.
This Fairfax County Public Library presentation was recorded June 17, 2020.
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Fairfax Schools: Racially-Separate to Desegregation to Diversity
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Fairfax City: Our Changing Demographics
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Neighbors Together for Equity and Inclusion
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Researching and Making Decisions on Confederate Symbols and Street Names
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Progress on the Connecting Fairfax City for All initiative was shared at an open house at the Sherwood Community Center on April 19, 2022. Residents interacted with city staff, the mayor, and city council members, sharing their thoughts about proposed changes to street names and historical monuments and markers, and the city seal.
Photos from Stakeholder Advisory Group Presentation to Mayor and Council 9-9-2021
Who's Listening
Supporting Documents
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Additional Resources for Connecting Fairfax City for All.pdf (676 KB) (pdf)
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City Council Work Session Presentation 10-6-2020 - Racial and Social Equity and Nomenclature in Fairfax City.pdf (528 KB) (pdf)
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City Seal Story in Cityscene February 2017 (930 KB) (jpg)
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City Council Work Session Presentation 10-27-2020 Working Group Selection Process.pdf (179 KB) (pdf)
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Stakeholder Group Members (131 KB) (pdf)
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Confederate Iconography Timeline - Southern Poverty Law Center 2018 (713 KB) (pdf)
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Q&A from First Listening and Learning Session 2-4-2021.pdf (132 KB) (pdf)
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Connecting Fairfax City for All timeline 4-19-2022.pdf (196 KB) (pdf)
If you're so offended by a street name, then don't drive on that street. Or preferably move away.
We are proud to continue to support Council members Harmon and Yi who considered the actual residents of Mosby Woods in their votes! Thank you for at least being thoughtful in considering that some streets should not have even been on the list for changing such as Ranger and Scarlet.
Removed by moderator.
All of you who want to change names of schools and roads are a bunch of whiners. Don't you have more important things to worry about. All of these residents and businesses now have to change their address on everything. How about spending that money on things that actually matter like schools and first responders. It's always a group of whimpy outcasts that cry the loudest. Before you go changing street names you need to change the name of your city and county. Lord FAIRFAX is very offensive and people of color. And any street that is associated with George Mason holy cow he was the worst slave holder. George Mason needs to go. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson all of them. Rename them all. Will that make you feel better? Will that make you feel self righteous?
I think this is wonderful!
Here are some of my ideas for better names:
Manahoac (After the Indigenous people from whom this land was taken)
Catharine Coleman (A NASA astronaut who attended Woodson HS)
Melba Roy (A NASA "Computer" - think Hidden Figures - from Fairfax, VA)
Pierre Thuot (A NASA astronaut who attend Fairfax HS)
I'm glad that we are reconsidering the names of streets etc. that are named after confederate figures- I think that we should also look into all of the instances where "Ashby" is as well- the pond, the streets, etc. as Ashby was a confederate general as well.
What a shame that a small, albeit vocal minority think by renaming roads will erase history. I suppose this plan will work depending on what political party is in charge. I think Fairfax City priorities are askew. Changing street names is not going to improve the quality of life or reduce crime, only optics.
To me it is good to change the names. The names,,,, are bad.
Fairfax City - Wasting our tax dollars since 1805!
Ranger road? Are you serious? You people have lost your minds. 27 years in my house. Do you have any idea what it is going to take to make this change? And why? So your guilt ridden person feels better about yourself. Confederate I get, but don't necessarily agree with you. But Ranger? Get over yourselves and worry about the reasons we put you there to spend our tax money on.
What a joke. That really helps no one. Take that money and put it towards something that actually makes a difference. A lot of other societies have attempted to erase history and that really seems to work well....if you want to destroy a country......
Leave the streets names alone, are you going to change history also. Changing the names just stupid and ignorant.
History can NOT be changed! You forget your past your are damned to repeat it.
Please spend my tax dollars on fixing roads and lights. I'd rather pay for police, firefighter, and teacher salaries.
Absurd. Political correctness run amuck. Laughable. This attempt to erase history will surely boomerang at some point.
When will it end? I understand that the names can be offensive to some. I am also a Civil War historian. The war tore our nation apart and we never fully recovered after the fighting ended. While I agree naming street for those who lost the war should occur. I find renaming roads such as Ranger Road, Raider Road, Scarlet Road and Singleton Circle ridiculous. Why waste money?
I am against name change of Ranger Road. This is nice simple name of street. Does not have any associations with slavery, civil war etc. what’s wrong with word ‘ranger’? Now we will have to change a bunch of documents because of this initiative like we dont have any other important things to do! Leave Ranger rd as it is!
I hope we can also get rid of "democrat" party name. It's incomprehensible to continue to use that name which supported slavery, Jim Crow laws and segregation alongside confederates - we even changed our football team. All the democrat board members must renounce their party and position. As an immigrant, I am so offended to see elected representative still represent that racist party.
We should name a street after every country President Obama drone bombed. There are more than enough.
I am so pleased that you will be renaming Confederate street names. These names do not reflect who we are as a society. I recommend renaming one of the street names after Barack Obama.
If you think we need to rename streets that are named after confederate persons, you're going to have to find a new name for your city as well. Lord Fairfax owned slaves.
Removed by moderator.