An Arlington County highway named for the Confederate General Robert E. Lee may soon be renamed for John M. Langston, an abolitionist and Virginia’s first Black congressman. After a year-long process, the Arlington County Board is set to vote on the issue soon. The road was named “Lee Highway” in the 1920’s, long after the eponymous former Confederate General lived in Arlington County. The County recently renamed another highway once named for former Confederate President Jefferson Davis. John M. Langston was one of five African Americans elected to congress during the Jim Crow era, and would be one of the last Black congressmen elected from the southern United States until 1972, after the Voting Rights Act was passed.
Name News
Committee Recommends Name Change for “Dixie State University”
As reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education, a committee at Dixie State University recommended the institution change its name to Utah Polytechnic State University. The move follows recent debates across the nation, including Washington and Lee University’s decision to keep its name amid student, faculty, and alumni initiated requests to change it. The article discusses the support and opposition to the measure in Utah, a state not typically associated with the American south.
About Names: “History of name Simon not as simple as it seems”
Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his July 4th column, he looks at the history of the name Simon.
Tuesday we can join Simon again in the World of Mages.
“Any Way the Wind Blows”, the third book in Nebraska author Rainbow Rowell’s young adult series about young mage Simon Snow, will be released July 6. It promises to “tell secrets, answer questions, and lay ghosts to rest.”
Simon was originally a Greek name meaning “flat-nosed.” It was used in first-century Palestine as the Greek form of Hebrew Shim’on, “he has heard,” a common name among Jews. Nine Simons are found in the New Testament, including apostle Simon the Zealot; Simon of Cyrene, who carried Jesus’ cross; and Simon Peter, later the first Pope.
In England, the name’s fame was reinforced by Simon Stock (1165-1265), a Carmelite monk whose visions of the Virgin Mary earned him veneration as a saint.
Simon ranked 13th in England around 1380, leading to Sims, Simpson, Symonds, etc., being common surnames.
Want to learn more? Read on to find out more the history of the name Simon!
Last T.C. Williams High School Class Celebrates Graduation, New Name
TC Williams High School from King Street (Photo by Addisnog, CC-BY-4.0)
Next year, “Alexandria City High School” will grace the diplomas of graduates from the former “T.C. Williams High School”. The school was named for former superintendent Thomas Chambliss Williams, a fervent segregationist who argued against integrating Alexandria public schools. Students petitioned for a name change and were successful this academic year. The school is most recently famous for the motion picture Remember the Titans, which featured a dramatized version of the school district’s integration efforts as they impacted the lives of the students.
Candy Brands Fight to Retain Trademarks and Brand Names as States Legalize Recreational Cannabis
While the doppelgangers might not appear in the same aisle (or even the same local grocer), THC infused candies stylized like their popular non-THC infused equivalents are sweeping the markets in states that have legalized recreational cannabis. An article in The New York Times features images of two packages of Skittles, virtually identical save for a series of small cannabis leaves across the package. One is product of Mars Wrigley and the other a THC infused imposter.
Read more about efforts to protect trademarks and brand names, with a few interesting perspectives shared throughout, over at The New York Times.
Howard University College of Fine Arts to be Named After Chadwick Boseman
Chadwick Boseman at the Deauville Film Festival in 2014 (Photo by Georges Biard, CC-BY-3.0)
Howard University announced that it will name its College of Fine Arts after actor and alumnus Chadwick Boseman.An article in The New York Times quotes Dean Phylicia Rashad’s comments regarding Mr. Boseman: “Unrelenting in his pursuit of excellence, Chadwick was possessed with a passion for inquiry and a determination to tell stories — through acting, writing and directing — that revealed the beauty and complexity of our human spirit.”
University of Illinois at Chicago will Rename Law School, Dropping “John Marshall” Name
Citing the former Chief Justice’s racist views and history as a slave owner and trader, the University of Illinois at Chicago will rename its Law School, dropping the name “John Marshall”. The Chicago Tribune reports that “trustees’ vote Thursday followed a monthslong review by a university task force, which voted 6-1 to remove Marshall’s name. The law school faculty and faculty senate also voted in favor of renaming the school, which is separate from the University of Illinois College of Law in Urbana.”
“Donald” and “Karen” Plummet in Popularity
According to the US Social Security Administration’s list of popular baby names (see our post from last Monday about Cleve’s column on this list), the names “Donald” and “Karen” plummeted in popularity this last year. The name “Donald” fell to the 610th most popular, and “Karen” ranked at 831st most popular. Read more about these names in this column at the Daily Kos.
Hurricane Season: 21 Names for 21 Storms in 2021
The World Meteorological Organization in Geneva, Switzerland selected 21 names for the first 21 storms of 2021. Recently, USA Today reviewed these 21 names and an additional 21 supplemental names in case the initial names are exhausted. The initial 21 names are:
- Ana
- Bill
- Claudette
- Danny
- Elsa
- Fred
- Grace
- Henri
- Ida
- Julian
- Kate
- Larry
- Mindy
- Nicholas
- Odette
- Peter
- Rose
- Sam
- Teresa
- Victor
- Wanda
Florida’s Duval County School Board to Rename 6 Schools Named for Confederate Leaders
Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville (Photo by Subwayatrain, CC-BY-3.0)
“Robert E. Lee High School” will be known as “Riverside High School”. Additionally, five other schools named for Confederate leaders will be renamed. The School Board’s decision comes after a year of community meetings, rallies, and protests. However, three other schools named for influential figures who are tied to “colonizers” will remain. Read more about the school board’s decision and the city of Jacksonville’s response here.