Observances of the Civil War 100-Year Anniversary 1961 – 1965

The 100 year anniversary of the Civil War was 1961 – 1965. Its kickoff coincided with the dedication of the Mosby Woods neighborhood in 1961.  Adopting a civil war theme was part of the marketing strategy for the development, which sought to capitalize on increased interest in the centennial in particular, and the civil warContinue reading “Observances of the Civil War 100-Year Anniversary 1961 – 1965”

Why our neighborhood names are under review

The debates over names and symbols used to represent a community are not new. Over the past several decades there have been repeated conversations about representation in state flags, monuments, sports mascots, and in the names of schools, municipal buildings, and major thoroughfares. These debates tend to flare up after incidents that cause public outrage, such asContinue reading “Why our neighborhood names are under review”

Progress Update from Engage Fairfax

In October, the City of Fairfax announced its Connecting Fairfax City for All initiative to study racial and social equity in Fairfax City.  The initiative includes establishing a 15-person Stakeholder Group reflecting diverse interests to facilitate community discussion and to make recommendations to the City Council.  The City has recently provided the following update on its progressContinue reading “Progress Update from Engage Fairfax”

Aspects of the Civil Rights Era When Mosby Woods was Established

As we continue to explore the historic context of our neighborhood, the Community Forward team has conducted research into the Civil Rights era of the 1950s and 1960s when Mosby Woods was established. We make no attempt to draw any conclusions as to the thought process behind the founding of Mosby Woods or the motivesContinue reading “Aspects of the Civil Rights Era When Mosby Woods was Established”

An invitation to participate from the City of Fairfax’s name review team

This is a message directly from the City of Fairfax to residents. Fairfax City Seeks Applicants for Community Engagement Stakeholder Group Fairfax City has launched Connecting Fairfax City For All, a candid and open dialogue around issues of racial and social equity. We invite you to participate in the first step of this initiative by applying toContinue reading “An invitation to participate from the City of Fairfax’s name review team”

Civil War Summary, Part 2: Major Battles

As our neighborhood explores our relationship with our street and community names, the Community Forward team has researched and written about topics deemed contextually relevant. This blog post is the second in a two-part series providing a very brief summary of the civil war. Read Part 1: A Fight Over Slavery and explore more contextContinue reading “Civil War Summary, Part 2: Major Battles”

Civil War Summary, Part 1: A Fight Over Slavery

As our neighborhood explores our relationship with our street and community names, the Community Forward team has researched and written about topics deemed contextually relevant. This blog post is the first in a two-part series providing a very brief summary of the civil war. Read Part 2: Major Battles and explore more context posts onContinue reading “Civil War Summary, Part 1: A Fight Over Slavery”

City launches engagement process on racial and social equity and nomenclature

The City Council has launched a community engagement process to address racial and social equity and nomenclature in Fairfax City. Working in conjunction with George Mason University’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, the City Council will provide a platform for facilitating community engagement on the topics of confederate-related street andContinue reading “City launches engagement process on racial and social equity and nomenclature”

Community Forward Listening Sessions: A Respectful Place to Share Common Values

Community Forward completed the first round of listening sessions in October and we are coming up on the last seven sessions in November. We are pleased to report that positive and thought-provoking discussions were had in an environment of respect and curiosity. We are also pleased to report that participants varied in age from 13Continue reading “Community Forward Listening Sessions: A Respectful Place to Share Common Values”