The Alexandria City Council Naming Committee will hold a public hearing on April 30 on a proposal to rename Iverson Street to Edmonson Street, giving residents their formal opportunity to weigh in before the city moves toward a final decision later this spring.
The hearing will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Patrick Henry Recreation Center, 4653 Taney Ave. No RSVP is required to attend in person. Residents may also submit written comments to [email protected] or sign up to speak in advance at apps.alexandriava.gov/SpeakerSignup.
Iverson Street, located in the Seminary Hill neighborhood, is named for Confederate Brig. Gen. Alfred Iverson Jr., according to city records. The proposed replacement name honors Mary and Emily Edmonson, two sisters born into slavery who, in 1848, attempted to escape aboard the schooner Pearl. The sisters were captured and jailed at the Bruin slave jail in Alexandria before eventually gaining their freedom and becoming prominent voices in the abolitionist movement…