The Inter-Mountain photo by Brad Johnson
Fourth Ward Elkins City Councilwoman Marly Hazen speaks during the public comment section of Thursday’s meeting, calling for the name of Robert E. Lee Avenue to be changed to honor mathematician Katherine Johnson.

ELKINS — An Elkins City Council member proposed changing the name of Robert E. Lee Avenue during Thursday’s meeting, putting into the public record a proposal that had already been greeted online by controversy and anger earlier in the day.

“I’m here to talk about a future proposal. It’s not on the agenda tonight,” Fourth Ward Councilwoman Marly Hazen said after leaving the council table and walking to the microphone during the public comment section of the meeting. “It’s about potentially changing the name of a street with council’s approval. This is Robert E. Lee Avenue.

“Robert E. Lee led an army against the people of West Virginia,” she said. “Our 1863 founding is a very unique history… Elkins was founded 25 years after the Civil War, a city whose namesake chose to fight for the Union because he was persuaded to by Abraham Lincoln’s arguments in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates.”

Robert E. Lee was a general in the Confederate Army. West Virginia broke away from the Confederate state of Virginia during the Civil War, the only American state to be formed in such a fashion. Stephen B. Elkins was a U.S. senator and industrialist who is the namesake of the town of Elkins.

“I’m proposing this name change with the utmost respect for West Virginia history, and I propose that we honor a West Virginian, Katherine Johnson,” Hazen said.

In a Facebook post earlier in the day, Hazen wrote, “Katherine Johnson, the basis for the main character in the movie ‘Hidden Figures,’ was born and educated in West Virginia. She became one of the best mathematicians in the world, helping NASA to launch John Glenn into orbit.

“She’s an extraordinary West Virginian, a pioneer in mathematical rocket science and as a civil rights icon, a person who helped break the color barrier at NASA — and at WVU, where she was the first black graduate student.

“Mrs. Johnson is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and at 100 years old, now would be an exciting time to honor her in Elkins!” Hazen wrote.

“It would do us proud to have a street and historical placard for her here, inspiring STEM education at the middle school and welcoming diversity through the community center. Honoring Katherine Johnson as a local role model would encourage hard-working and courageous Mountaineer spirit, emboldening kids to be brave and inclusive, and to shoot for the moon.”

Johnson was born in White Sulphur Springs and attended high school in Institute.

“Last year, I found a flyer from a hate group out in front of my home,” Hazen said during Thursday’s public comment period, adding that she feels the city needs to be “proactive” in combating racism.

The fliers, which were discovered May 5, 2018, indicated they were from the “Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan” and outlined 10 “slavery facts” the group believes to have been “covered up” by members of the Jewish community. The flyers were found throughout Elkins neighborhoods and across the campus of Davis & Elkins College.

After the discovery, Elkins officials released a statement condemning the fliers and stating that hate language is not acceptable. Hazen also spoke out at the time, saying residents of Elkins need to stand united against this type of hate after indicating she was “outraged” to locate one of the fliers at her residence.

When Hazen finished speaking, no council members or other city officials commented, as is the standard practice during the public comment period.

After the meeting, Hazen told The Inter-Mountain she is a trained historian, having earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in history. She wrote her master’s thesis about an Appalachian mine wars community. Hazen grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. She was elected to her first term on council in March 2017.

By Thursday morning, Hazen’s Facebook post had spawned hundreds of comments across multiple Facebook pages, with some residents supporting her idea while many others criticized the proposal.

“I think a lot of people rush to judgment because they hear the name is being changed, but they don’t hear the exciting thing that we’re changing it to,” Hazen said after Thursday’s council meeting. “I really want to emphasize that, because I’m not bringing this up in any way to be dismissive. I’m bringing it up as a way to celebrate our history, and Katherine Johnson’s a big part of that.”

A multitude of people took to social media Thursday to speak out against Hazen’s idea.

“I am 81 yrs old and born and raised in Elkins and Robert E. lee Ave. was here when I Came and will be here when I’m gone. If we forget history it tends to repeat itself. Leave It alone move on and get on with more pressing matters,” Thomas Rexrode of Elkins posted.

“Political correctness is going to be the death and ruin of us all,” posted Darlene Badgett Ritchey.

“It has come to my attention that some of our current members of City Council are looking to rename streets in Elkins that are named for Military Generals starting with Robert E Lee Avenue just because they fought for the south or The Union,” Howard Knapp, a city council candidate in both 2017 and 2019, posted on Facebook. “As a veteran of the US Army I am opposed of this action and I hope all my fellow military veterans and active service members stand with me and tell Council Members to drop this Witch Hunt and start concentrating on getting the Homeless and Drugs off them. I have ran in the Past two city elections standing for just this reason.”

Greg Gooden, an Elkins native now living in Pennsylvania, posted a lengthy response to Hazen’s proposal that garnered more than 100 comments.

“I’ve been gone from Elkins for a really long time, and won’t be affected if Robert E. Lee Avenue gets changed to something else,” Gooden’s post reads in part. “Still, there’s a point to be made here. Changing a street name is an inconvenience to the residents and businesses along it, but there is more to it to the community as a whole. Any true historian embraces the value of history.

“Obviously, Robert E. Lee occupies a great place in history, and I won’t go over that lesson,” Gooden wrote. “Changing the name of that particular street has little to do with its current name, which is a prominent historical name and should not be forgotten or discarded, lest we forget history. History forgotten is a sentence to ignorance, and an invitation to travel again paths which were forged through history and society on the backs and blood of our ancestors.

“As citizens, we should build on lessons learned from history, and keep the reminders of our battles to inspire us from the lessons learned in those battles, lessons about civility and peace. No, the renaming of Robert E. Lee Avenue seems to be carried on the notion that history should be replaced if it isn’t pleasant or convenient to one’s memory, and replaced with only identities which invoke positivity. We are at a place in time where trophies are awarded for participation, and even last place gets recognized, because no one should experience a negative in their life. Well, that’s not how life works, and if you don’t win the race, next time you’ll fight harder, unless you’re told that last place is ok. Our history’s battles weren’t about participation; they were about protecting our beliefs, and erasing history dulls our senses to the lessons that keep our civil boundaries intact. We must not allow that,” Gooden posted.

The name change proposal will have to make its way through the committee process in order to come before city council for a vote.

The next city council meeting will be at 7 p.m. May 16 in City Hall.