Alexandria City Council’s Naming Committee will host a public hearing next month on a proposal to rename a street in Seminary Hill named after Confederate Brig. Gen. Alfred Iverson.
Ahead of the public hearing, the city wants public feedback on the proposal to rename Iverson Street as Edmonson Street. The proposed name references sisters Mary Edmonson and Emily Edmonson, who were born into slavery, earned their freedom and became important figures in the abolitionist movement.
Earlier this week, Alexandria’s City Council approved the introduction and first reading of legislation to change the names of streets currently honoring Confederate leaders.
The legislation, the first fruit of a year-long effort to start a renaming process for streets celebrating leaders of the Confederacy, heads to a final vote on Saturday, Jan. 20.
The Alexandria City Council at its town hall meeting on Saturday shot back at criticism over its plan to rename streets named after Confederate leaders.
Council answered public questions for two hours Saturday morning at Charles Houston Recreation Center, and the meeting took a decisive turn when Mayor Justin Wilson read the following question:
Just after the full list of potential new street names was revealed, the City of Alexandria said six public streets could be renamed as the opening of a 15-year process.
The city plans an open public hearing on Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. in Alexandria City Hall (301 King Street) to discuss the proposed names or potential alternatives.
The City of Alexandria is working on renaming streets honoring Confederate leaders, and now there’s a full list of new potential names to replace them.
The Historic Alexandria Resources Commission compiled a list of roughly 63 names that could replace streets honoring Confederates.
