Process To Discuss Racial And Social Equity And Nomenclature In Fairfax City Takes Shape

Press release from the City of Fairfax:

10/08/2020 3:30 PM

Numerous communities around the country have begun the often difficult and complex conversation about their history, systemic racism, symbolism, and identity. From coast to coast, a raised national consciousness about these social issues is leading communities to ask questions, share concerns, and engage in collective introspection, and doing so in an open, transparent, and collaborative way.

The City of Fairfax, Va., recognizes there is strength in diversity and acknowledges the need for a broader community conversation around the issues of racial and social equity. During a City Council work session on Tuesday, October 6, the Mayor and Councilmembers voiced their support for a broad plan to begin a candid and open community dialogue around these issues.

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 of Fairfax Mayor David Meyer says, “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. 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.”

Starting this fall, city residents will be invited to come together 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.

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.

Topics proposed for discussion in community learning sessions include:

• The city’s historical past (Fairfax in the Civil War)
• Context of memorials and individuals
  • The “Lost Cause” and the Memorial Era (ca. 1880 - 1930)
    • 1901 Virginia Constitution and Jim Crow laws
• Desegregation and Civil Rights
• Past and present realities of racial and social injustice
• The city’s changing demographics and context of the city as an integral jurisdiction in the National Capital Region.

A key component of this effort will be a new, online community engagement platform designed to collect and share ideas, perspectives, and personal stories from a broad section of city residents.

View the presentation from the City Council work session.

More information will be shared as it becomes available.

Media contact:
Matthew Kaiser
Communications and Marketing Director
703-273-6381

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.