WORKING GROUP ON RENAMING LEE HIGHWAY Working Group

WORKING GROUP ON RENAMING LEE HIGHWAY Working Group Meeting #5 December 9, 2020 6: 30 -8: 30 pm

AGENDA 6: 30 pm 6: 35 pm 6: 40 pm 6: 45 pm 7: 00 pm 7: 50 pm 8: 05 pm 8: 30 pm Welcome to WG Members, Adopt Minutes – Matt Weinstein Reporting to the LHA Board Staff Responses to WG & Advisory Group Questions Review the Top 10 Names and Justifications Discussion on Top 10 Names Rank Choice Voting Results Road Typology Discussion Adjourn

CHAIR’S REPORT • Welcome to Working Group Members & Special Guests • Adopt Minutes

FULFILLING THE CHARGE TO THE WORKING GROUP • The advocacy process that the LHA Board began on June 9, 2020, with a letter to the County Board is wrapping up after nearly six months of work • The WG has met the desired outcomes of LHA’s strategy, including creating a shared identity for the corridor, and reaching thousands of stakeholders and Lee Highway residents, property/business owners, and institutions • The WG will achieve a final step as we recommend 3 -5 names to the LHA Board • The names will effectively brand the future vision of the roadway and reflect the criteria as well as community and business input.

STAFF RESPONSES TO WORKING GROUP & ADVISORY GROUP QUESTIONS Does the County (or VDOT) require a certain typology in terms of Street Naming (e. g. Highway; Avenue; Street; Road; etc. ) and are there limitations on this typology? No. The naming typology is usually a local authority and is distinct from functional classification. For example, Lee Highway is a Principal Arterial, but so too are Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard. There is no law or regulation at the state level that governs what type of typology is used. Per an earlier response from VDOT, certain suffixes are more commonly used with certain road types (street/lane for local streets and parkway/boulevard for arterials, for example).

STAFF RESPONSES What are the costs of installation? We don’t believe sign costs should be a material consideration for the work of the LHA renaming effort. County Staff will need to conduct a more thorough evaluation once a name (or names) is selected and prior to final action by the County Board to inform them on estimated costs. Staff is currently working on refining those costs but does not have an estimate to provide at this time.

STAFF RESPONSES Is there a prescribed or recommended character limit for road names? Yes, due to limitations on sign sizes, fonts, existing infrastructure capacity, etc. County staff is recommending that Street names should not exceed fifteen (15) characters in length (no longer than “Washington Blvd”), including spaces between words. The 15 character limit will allow for use of standard-sized signs in most locations. There are several locations at which VDOT may need to replace the entire sign structure due to anticipated increase in length from “Lee Hwy”.

FINAL 10 NAMES 1. Dogwood 2. Dr. Edward Morton 3. Ella Baker 4. Green Way 5. James E. Browne 6. John Glenn 7. John M. Langston 8. Justice 9. Main Street 10. Mildred & Richard Loving

FINAL 10 NAMES: DOGWOOD The Dogwood tree is the state tree for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The social studies curriculum taught to every fourth-grade student that goes through public school in Virginia includes the Dogwood tree.

FINAL 10 NAMES: ELLA BAKER Ella Josephine Baker, a. k. a. the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, is a native daughter of Virginia born in Norfolk on December 13, 1903. She was a civil rights pioneer who championed the ordinary citizen. Her expert organizational skills were instrumental in bridging the generations of leadership in the civil rights movement, including her work with the NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) and Student Non. Violent Conference Committee (SNCC). Her contributions have had lasting impacts including on the Voting Rights Act of 1964 and 1965. The historic Freedom Rides are a testament to her legacy. The fingerprints of her leadership can be seen in the social movements of today.

FINAL 10 NAMES: DR. EDWARD MORTON Dr. Edward Morton, the first Black physician in North Arlington, was a powerful early voice for racial equality in Arlington, and specifically on Lee Highway. His home and medical practice were located at 4842 Lee Highway, the site that currently is the Mc. Donald’s Restaurant. Changes to zoning regulations forced Black landowners on Lee Highway, including Dr. Morton, to sell their homes when those blocks of Lee Highway were rezoned. Dr. Morton was a leader in the Hall's Hill neighborhood and was a candidate for County Board in the 1930 s. Dr. Morton promoted Black Empowerment and studied the writings of Marcus Garvey. Dr. Morton believed in the power of education and his two daughters attended HBCU’s, one becoming a teacher at the segregated Langston Elementary School and the other a nurse.

FINAL 10 NAMES: GREEN WAY Envision the Lee Highway corridor as it COULD be in the future - a Green Way bordered by trees and plants, and full of sustainable, environmentally friendly features. That is how the LHA Guiding Principles envisioned this important roadway. Green Way could benefit transportation as well as surrounding communities through enhanced public health and urban planning. Its innovative designs would combine transportation functionality with ecological sustainability.

FINAL 10 NAMES: JAMES E. BROWNE Rev. James E. Browne, a President of the Arlington branch of NAACP, oversaw the integration of the Arlington Public Schools during his tenure. His leadership within the Hall’s Hill community demonstrates his deep connection to Lee Highway. Not only did he reside on Culpeper street next to Langston School, he served as the President of the John M. Langston Citizens Association, as a member of the Arlington lunch counter protests, and as a minister and assistant Pastor of the Mount Salvation Baptist Church. His wife, Hazel, was the manager of the lunchroom at segregated Langston School and worked in the Arlington Negro Recreation Section.

FINAL 10 NAMES: JOHN GLENN Senator John Glenn, a long-time Arlington resident, exemplifies the values of courage, discovery, a respect for science, and public service. He was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts selected by NASA to lead the United States in manned missions in space. On February 20, 1962, Colonial Glenn flew the “Friendship 7” space capsule in the three-orbit mission around the earth, a major milestone in the nascent space program. At the time of the historic space mission, Colonel Glenn and his family owned and lived a house on Harrison Street.

FINAL 10 NAMES: JOHN M. LANGSTON John M. Langston was an American abolitionist, attorney, educator, activist, diplomat, and politician who was the first Black person elected to Congress from Virginia. His ties to Arlington date back to 1867 when he was the Inspector General of the Freedman's Bureau, the managing agency over Freedman's Village, the contraband camp for the formerly enslaved in Arlington. He founded the law department at Howard University, was its first dean, and the first president of Virginia State University. Lee Highway runs right past the old segregated John M Langston Elementary School. The four students who desegregated Arlington Public Schools Students attended Langston school. His nephew was the poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist Langston Hughes.

FINAL 10 NAMES: JUSTICE Justice is the bedrock on which our community, and our society, rests. Justice represents the principals and ideals of The Founders. As a civic virtue, Justice is a powerful reminder that everyone is treated equally and fairly, regardless of race, color, creed, sexual orientation, or religion. Arlington aspires to create a more just community in all of its dimensions.

FINAL 10 NAMES: MAIN STREET The Lee Highway Alliance and Plan Lee Highway practice what urban planning calls the Main Street approach to revitalization. It is based on transformative strategies of design, promotion, and organization to arrive at economic vitality and enhanced quality of life. The goal is to bring communities together through community -based grassroots planning, support local businesses, and always remember our history and identity through heritage-based education. Main Street represents the diversity that makes the 4. 6 mile corridor unique yet linked for 14 established communities.

FINAL 10 NAMES: MILDRED & RICHARD LOVING The name Mildred & Richard Loving would commemorate a powerful story about an interracial couple who fought for the right to be married in the landmark Supreme Court case of Loving vs Virginia. It recalls the unjust elements of the past, and the triumph of love over injustice. Their story changed and continues to change our nation - it was cited as precedent in establishing the right to marry for gay couples. When people cross Key Bridge into Virginia from DC, they are greeted by our State logo “Virginia is for Lovers”; it would be fitting if the first road they come to bears the Lovings’ name. The name works on an intellectual level by commemorating history, on an aspirational level by honoring our motto “Virginia is for Lovers” and on an emotional level by signaling our desire to treat each other in a loving way. It is a simple & unifying message.

FINAL 10 NAMES DISCUSSION Each Working Group Member will have 2 minutes to give their thoughts on their favorite names.

VOTING RESULTS – TOP 5 NAMES 1. Mildred & Richard Loving 2. John M. Langston 3. Ella Baker 4. Dr. Edward T. Morton 5. Main Street

FINAL 5 NAMES: ROAD TYPOLOGY Avenue, Boulevard, Street, Way, Drive, Pike 1. Mildred & Richard Loving Avenue 2. John M. Langston Boulevard 3. Ella Baker Boulevard 4. Dr. Edward T. Morton Avenue 5. Main Street

WRAP UP • The results of tonight’s meeting will be presented to the LHA Board tomorrow, Dec. 10 at 8: 30 am • The LHA Board will. forward the recommendation to the Arlington County Board • Matt Weinstein, LHA Board Member and Chair of the Working Group on Renaming Lee Highway, will present the recommendations to the County Board on Dec. 15. • The County Board will either try to change the name through CTB or General Assembly approval.