Arlington County officials unanimously voted Saturday to rename Lee Highway to Langston Boulevard, named after abolitionist John Mercer Langston.
Langston was also the first Dean of Law at Howard University. The highway is currently named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
The renaming of Lee Highway comes after the Lee Highway Alliance underwent an effort to choose a name that better reflects Arlington County’s values, promotes equity and is more welcoming to all people, according to the group.
Wilma Jones Kilgo, a member of the alliance, spoke in favor of renaming the road, pointing out that Lee owned slaves and was a member of the Confederate.