Washington-Lee High School in Arlington is now Washington-Liberty. Robert E. Lee High School in Fairfax County will be getting a new name, after a vote yesterday. Jefferson Davis Highway, meanwhile, is now Richmond Highway.
Is it time for Lee Highway — also known as Route 29 — to get a new name?
While the Black community has experienced disproportionate deaths as a result of COVID-19, the pandemic has left us all with clarity about the lack of value of Black Americans to the larger society.
Until 1865, Black bodies, minds and souls were an official currency in our capitalist society. The remnants of the peculiar institution of slavery, which exist today in the form of institutional racism, may be withering away slowly. Yet today, there is more energy from white Americans to demand change, including, more support for our lives and our businesses.
With the start of Northern Virginia’s “Phase 2” reopening nearly two weeks ago, diners could again enjoy a meal indoors at a restaurant.
But how many people are actually doing that?
This piece was co-written by Gillian Burgess.
Next month, the Arlington County Board will approve its Capital Improvement Plan (or CIP) after a truncated process. This critical component of Arlington’s budget outlines the investment that the county will make in infrastructure in the future.
Right now Arlington has an opportunity to rethink and expand our public feedback process. Since the pandemic began, in-person meetings have been canceled and our county and school system’s public engagement processes have been required to adapt.
More than half of the school advisory committees were canceled for just a month and began meeting again in May via Microsoft Teams.
Peter’s Take is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com
Arlington County and APS face extraordinary challenges because of COVID-19.
Back in mid-March, no one could have fully predicted just how long or extensive the lockdown for COVID-19 would be.
Over the past three months, the County Board moved the most essential functions of governing to online platforms. Essential services and public safety continued largely without interruption. A modified budget moved through a revamped public comment process, though not without a couple blips. For example, the county’s pay plan set to take effect on July 1st still says County Board members will receive a raise. There has been no public announcement on how they will deliver the promised fix to prevent the raise from taking effect.
Progressive Voice is a bi-weekly opinion column. The views expressed are solely the author’s.
By Cheryl Moore
A busy week has has given way to what looks to be a beautiful weekend.
We are grateful this week for the passion of those protesting in Arlington and elsewhere, the medical recovery of long-time ARLnow commenter Flood Czar, and the support of our readers and sponsors — who have propelled our readership to record levels and who have allowed us to stay business through the pandemic with no layoffs.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued detailed guidance this week for the phased reopening of schools. Because each of the three phases includes six-foot social distancing in school and on buses, Arlington Public Schools (APS) will have to provide a hybrid model of education this fall, with limited in-person instruction, combined with online learning.
The Governor’s guidance for instruction is as follows:
Following protests over the killing of George Floyd, there’s now a national movement to #DefundThePolice.
Most proponents say they want to redirect a portion of sizable police budgets to social services, investing in community rather than punishment.
As Arlington enters Phase Two of Governor Northam’s re-opening strategy, I have really struggled to empathize with my neighbors.
Despite the polarization and tribalism we see in debates that rage across social media and populate the headlines, I try to believe people are more nuanced and complex than the red and blue avatars we create for them. I refuse to concede the young couple walking their dog, or the woman on a run, or the family sitting out in their front yard during my evening walks, are as divided or as divisive as some would have us believe.
