Virginia Is Renaming A Confederate Highway & Twitter’s Got A Few Ideas

A stretch of highway in northern Virginia is receiving national attention this week as Americans come together to find it a new name. People are using Twitter to suggest new names for the Jefferson Davis Highway, and the current offerings are an interesting mix of serious and very silly.

The process of renaming the highway has been going on since long before the recent displays of white supremacy in Charlottesville, Virginia — the city council of Alexandria voted unanimously to rename the road nearly a year ago. But the nationwide calls for removal of Confederate monuments this week brought the renaming process back into the spotlight, with the added bonus of a direct way to communicate your preference to the advisory group in charge of choosing one final recommended name.

Naturally, that kind of opportunity brought out all the politicos and jokesters on Twitter. People have shared great ideas for the new highway, both funny and serious. If you want your suggestions for the highway's new name to actually be considered by Alexandria's advisory group for renaming the road, make sure you fill out this form before Sept. 15. The group is making its recommendation to the city manager on Oct. 5, so be sure to fill out the form, and put your suggestions on Twitter for a good dialogue (or laugh).