Fairfax Begins Process To Rename Confederate Properties

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a motion Tuesday to begin the process of inventorying all public places in the county that have Confederate names as a step toward renaming them. This includes all monuments, street names, recreation centers and parks, as well as all county buildings and properties.

"Fairfax County residents stand together with fellow Americans in support of the recent movement for racial justice, brought on by the horrific deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and others," said the joint motion by Supervisors Dalia A. Palchik (Providence) and Walter Alcorn (Hunter Mill). "This powerful call for equity has brought attention to Confederate monuments and place names throughout the country and the county, and the painful history they symbolize. Confederate monuments and place names were affirmations of white supremacy under the siren of Southern history and tradition, and they go against the goal of a more just, unified county. They do not reflect our community’s values."

Tuesday's motion directed county staff to compile a comprehensive list and history of places named after people who had military or governmental responsibilities under the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865. The list should also include those responsible for renaming the property and the implications of removing the Confederate names from public places within the county.

The motion also called on the county attorney and other relevant agencies to establish guidelines for removal with input from other county boards and commissions, such as the Fairfax County Park Authority and the Architectural Review Board.

Before the vote on the motion, Supervisor Pat Herrity (Springfield) offered a friendly amendment to include a request for information about when the properties were given Confederate names, specifically if the renaming occurred during the period of desegregation. The amendment was accepted and the motion passed unanimously.

Tuesday's action came four days after Fairfax residents gathered at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Fairfax City to call for the removal of a granite monument erected in 1904 to honor Confederate Capt. John Quincy Marr. The protesters also questioned why the monument, created as a tribute to the Confederate officer, continues to be marketed by the Fairfax County tourism board.

The inventory of Confederate names is just the latest step the board has taken in response to nationwide demonstrations for racial justice and against police violence.

The board voted unanimously June 9 to approve a statement of support for those in the county calling for racial justice and to find funding to implement the next phase of the Fairfax County Police Department's body-worn camera program. A week later, FCPD officials presented a plan that would allow the county to implement the remaining phases of the body-worn camera program in Fiscal Year 2021.

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