I'm a bit surprised NOVA localities haven't changed Confederate names (Richmond: neighborhood, high school)

[VTHokieFan]

There's still a Jefferson Davis Highway and a Robert E. Lee Hgh school as someone posted about below. Has anyone attempted to bring this up and change names, or is it really not worth the effort?

There's a Lee-Davis High School in Richmond and their athletic teams' names are the Confederates: the Lee-Davis Confederates which has me equally surprised. Would have thought there'd be a lawsuit or something soon.

I'm not offended at all by slight, unprominant references to the Confederate past like simply naming a school after Lee, but some people are.

[brooklynborndad]

I am usually not a big fan of Bus Boys and Poets, but if there were one on Jeff Davis highway, I would SO go there

[JD984]

Originally Posted by VTHokieFan

There's still a Jefferson Davis Highway and a Robert E. Lee Hgh school as someone posted about below. Has anyone attempted to bring this up and change names, or is it really not worth the effort?

There's a Lee-Davis High School in Richmond and their athletic teams' names are the Confederates: the Lee-Davis Confederates which has me equally surprised. Would have thought there'd be a lawsuit or something soon.

I'm not offended at all by slight, unprominant references to the Confederate past like simply naming a school after Lee, but some people are.

Hmm. Reminds me of the song lyrics from the musical "1776":

"You see it's here-a-Lee, there-a-Lee
And everywhere-a-Lee-a-Lee

Social-Lee, political-Lee, financial-Lee, natural-Lee
Internal-Lee, external-Lee, fraternal-Lee, eternal-Lee"

[Caladium]

...just as long as they don't name it Ashdowne....

[cb at sea]

It's part of the area's history...why change it? You can't change history!

[robbobobbo]

While there is a Rebel statue on Alexandria's Washington St (which does occasionally get calls for removal), NoVA seems pretty indifferent to or immune from sentimental yearnings for the "Lost Cause". Contrast to my experience in NC (not the Triangle) where I encountered almost daily "South will rise again!" stuff and play-acting the war among the neighborhood kids (years ago, but upon moving to NoVA that same decade, there was a conspicious absence of it in NoVA - really conspicious absence).

I'm sure there are people in NoVA who are offended by homages to the Confederacy as you described, but I'm likewise sure there are people who are offended that "heritage" symbols aren't more prevalent, or complain there's a politically-correct "Yankeefication" eroding the culture. It's just that there aren't enough of these people of either mindset to make a difference. Maybe life here is too busy to go after trifles! And as said upthread, it's part of the history and I think people accept that.

I've always found Southerners to be more prone to know about and think about the Civil War (aka War of Northern Aggression), whereas most others think "huh? That's ancient history!" Even if people would be adamantly anti-Confederacy if you asked them, they're not really thinking about it! They see a Robert E. Lee school and to them, it's a school, not "oh no, they're honoring a man who fought to preserve slavery!" Short take: the war isn't an issue with non-Southerners unless the Confederacy gets promoted as something great and glorious. It's something to learn in history class.

One caveat: if a new place were constructed and it were proposed to be named after a Confederate, I think such a proposal would stand a good chance at being quashed in NoVA these days. Existing buildings, schools, etc, that have been in the neighborhood for decades aren't making a statement, they just exist. Honoring someone with a new building is making a statement.

I think these days Virginia as a state (the government) is keeping a good balance between remembering its history and its historic persons, and acknowledging the reality, not the myth, of antebellum and wartime South. It's not all one way or the other.

Oh, and Richmond isn't NoVA in location or in disposition, and I'm sure that attitudes towards the Confederacy are more generous there, so I'm not sure why you included it in your examples.

Another caveat: I'm speaking as a white person. The attitude of a non-white in NoVA towards Confederate symbols and namesakes might well be different, but I haven't personally encountered anyone speak of this issue.

[yamota]

The winners of wars get to write history, that's why there is no Goebbels street or Hitler plaza in Germany

[Bigfoot424]

I certainly hope none of these names are changed. Names like Lee and Davis are an important link to Va's history and the horrible period called the Civil War. I believe there is a good mix of names, at least in Manassas, of prominent names that represent both the south and north from this period.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by cb at sea

It's part of the area's history...why change it? You can't change history!

Lee maybe. Heck, Lee certainly. He was FROM here.

Not Jeff davis. He was from Mississippi. He governed the CSA from Richmond, not NoVa.

The road named for him was built in the 20th century.

AFAICT, the commonwealth chose to name it that, basically to thumb their noses at the Federal govt - i mean the road runs right near the Pentagon, close to the rest of the Fed govt complex, etc.

It would however be hopeless for NoVans to try to get the name changed - we would all get called PC liberals - hell, I expect to be called a PC liberal by fellow NoVans right here on this thread.

I think the best thing would be to subvert the meaning. Create a hipster community on Jeff Davis Highway, with businesses, galleries, etc that play off the name in an "ironic" way.

Might actually redeem hipsterdom, IMO

[robbobobbo]

Originally Posted by yamota

The winners of wars get to write history, that's why there is no Goebbels street or Hitler plaza in Germany

Um... the South lost.

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

I certainly hope none of these names are changed. Names like Lee and Davis are an important link to Va's history and the horrible period called the Civil War. I believe there is a good mix of names, at least in Manassas, of prominent names that represent both the south and north from this period.