Posted on December 19, 2022

Fairfax Co. Officially Renames Lee District in a Move Away From Confederate Past

Ciara Wells, WTOP, December 7, 2022

The Fairfax, Virginia, County Board of Supervisors officially renamed the Lee District as the Franconia District on Tuesday.

The board originally voted on the name change decision in June, and formally adopted the changes after a public hearing Tuesday.

The change will result in name changes for other facilities that have Lee in their names.

The renaming is the latest action to strip the name of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from locations around the county. In June 2020, the Fairfax County School Board renamed Lee High School after the late civil rights activist and U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

“Today’s action is an important statement about our values as a community,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay. “We can’t change our history, but we can decide what in our history is worth celebrating and what is worth learning from to always do better. Franconia is a recognizable, richly diverse area, an area I have been proud to have lived in my entire life. This new name ensures our county continues to be a welcoming community to all people.”

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