In the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia, US Route 1 is named after Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy.  We, the undersigned, believe that it is long past time to remove his name from this important thoroughfare.  We propose that US Route 1 be renamed Loving Highway, in honor of Richard and Mildred Loving of Caroline County.
 
US Route 1 in Virginia received the name Jefferson Davis Highway in 1922, when the Virginia General Assembly named it as part of a transcontinental corridor named in honor of the Confederate president between Washington, DC and San Diego, CA. This initiative was pushed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, a neoconfederate “lost cause” organization dedicated to romanticizing slavery and maintaining white supremacy in the South.  Although the national highway was never completely designated, Virginia adopted the name with enthusiasm.
 
It is long past time to remove the names of Confederates from positions of public recognition and honor in our city, our Commonwealth, and our nation.  Cities around Virginia—Alexandria, Norfolk, Richmond—are recognizing this by removing statues of Confederate leaders including Davis.  Arlington County renamed Jefferson Davis Highway to Richmond Highway in 2019.  The US Army supports changing the names of military bases named for Confederate leaders, a point eloquently made by General David Petraeus.  Here in Fredericksburg, a long process of public discussion resulted in the removal of the “slave auction block” in June 2020.  It is long past time to change the name of the highway.
 
We propose to rename the highway Loving Highway, in honor of the plaintiffs in Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Supreme Court case the legalized interracial marriage in the United States.  Richard and Mildred Loving loved each other, lived together, and raised a family in spite of legal and social sanctions against their relationship.  Those values of love, togetherness, and a commitment to a better future more truly represent the modern city of Fredericksburg and deserve our recognition and celebration on our street signs.