City Seeks Members for Advisory Group on Confederate Memorials and Street Names

Alexandria City Council recently voted unanimously to establish an Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Confederate Memorials and Street Names.

The establishing resolution directs the City Manager to appoint the seven members of the Advisory Group, with two members appointed at-large, and one member appointed from each of the following:

• Alexandria Human Rights Commission
• Historic Alexandria Resources Commission
• Alexandria Society for the Preservation of Black Heritage
• Alexandria Planning Commission
• Alexandria Transportation Commission

More Than 30 of Alexandria’s Streets Named for Confederates

Move Afoot to Rename Jefferson Davis Highway

The Advisory Group is directed to bring community values, knowledge, and ideas into discussions and considerations of issues related to Confederate memorials and street names in Alexandria. In particular, the Advisory Group is to develop recommendations on actions, if any, it believes City Council should consider with respect to:

1) the status of the Appomattox statue on South Washington Street;

2) the name of Jefferson Davis Highway in the City of Alexandria;

3) the names of the many streets within the City that are named after Confederate generals and military leaders; and

4) a specific policy on flying of any flags on property owned or under the control of the City.

On Sept. 8, City Council voted unanimously to prohibit the flying of the Confederate flag on City property on Robert E. Lee’s Birthday and on Confederate Memorial Day.

The Advisory Group will meet on an ad hoc basis, including holding one or more public hearings, and is to complete its work and forward its recommendations to City Council no later than March 15, 2016. Meetings of the Advisory Group will be open to the public.

Applicants for the two at-large positions on the Advisory Group should complete the application form at www.alexandriava.gov/Confederate no later than noon on Oct. 30. Once the Advisory Group has been appointed, its membership and work will be published on the same webpage.

Recommendations for the commission representatives have been solicited from the respective commission chairs.