Last week the PW Perspective broke the news on the changing of Confederate Court in Dumfries being re-named Liberty Lane. Yesterday the unveiling of Liberty Lane took place. It was a crowd of locally elected officials, Dumfries police officers, and the citizens who reside there as they gathered around, yet still practiced social distancing as history was being made.

Mayor Derrick Wood led the festivities, speaking on the importance of commemorating the moment as a celebration of “setting the captives free,” discussing how at the spot where they were standing was once home to the Dumfries Jail. Next, Mayor Wood then introduced Councilwoman Cyndy Neville, who proposed the resolution. Neville gave a stirring speech on the lives of those enslaved in the 1700s – 1800s, including those unnamed. She also talked about how many of them escaped to pursue freedom, and by having the name changed with unanimous support, it represented the tearing down of a symbol of oppression. The official unveiling was done by Mayor Wood, Councilwoman Neville and Councilwoman Selonia Miles, who seconded the resolution to applause from all in attendance.

Once the festivities concluded we spoke with Chonita Miller, who is a lifelong resident of Dumfries, and has lived on the former Confederate Court for years about what it meant to witness this moment. “What it means for me is when I first moved here, it automatically bothered me by the name of the street. I always felt bothered by telling people I lived on Confederate Court. I’ve always been uncomfortable writing out the words Confederate Court. When I saw Mayor Wood and he explained to me that they were changing the name of the street, it brought me to tears. Where we are in America today, there is no place for anything to be named confederate, or anything like that. We have come too far as a people, but I think that this is a beautiful step. This has brought joy to my heart, knowing that people care and understand. It’s amazing that we have people that look like us in office and care about what we care about. That’s where change starts.”