In Fairfax County, to have a street name changed, a petition showing support of the new name from the community or neighboring residences is necessary. This petition is to service as evidence of community support towards racial justice and growth in our community. 

Gallows Branch Rd. is small road in McLean, VA. It does not have any businesses or residences on the street, however, several businesses use the street to enter their parking lot.

Virginia law § 33.2-1800 states: “No name shall be eligible for the naming rights under this section if it in any way reasonably connotes anything that (i) is profane, obscene, or vulgar; (ii) is sexually explicit or graphic; (iii) is excretory related; (iv) is descriptive of intimate body parts or genitals; (v) is descriptive of illegal activities or substances; (vi) condones or encourages violence; or (vii) is socially, racially, or ethnically offensive or disparaging.”

In light of events surrounding the United States recently, I think it’s especially important to rethink the meaning of Gallows Branch. Historically, gallows are defined as “a structure, typically of two uprights and a crosspiece, for the hanging of criminals.” While Gallows Road has speculation about the origin of the name, I think Gallows Branch Road pushes any boundary of innocence too far. It’s important to think about what these names mean to the community and the context is references. Being in Virginia, a formally confederate state, in a county that punished “northern aggressors,” I feel it carries a heavy symbol of our state’s dark past. In reference to state law, I believe it is actually “obscene, vulgar” and condones “violence” and is also racially disparaging. 

I find that the road name highlights and condones this capital punishment, which disproportionally saw more Black Americans at the time. It is reminiscent of the hysteria of the Jim Crow Era and I feel it is an ugly representation of this county.

I am proposing to rename Gallows Branch Road to Minnie Hughes Road. Minnie Hughes are her husband were among the first known educators of the first African American school in Fairfax County. As Fairfax County takes pride of being one of the top school systems in the country, I wanted to highlight the importance of education in this community, as well as the promise to be better with education. As we stop to think about what street names were named under Confederate influence, this street name would serve as a reminder to educate ourselves on the truth and honor those who were the true pioneers of the Fairfax County we live in today.