Charlottesville hears hours of public comment on whether to end local observance of Lee-Jackson Day

Charlottesville City Council on Feb. 2 heard more than three hours of public comment and a staff presentation on whether the city should end its local observance of Lee‑Jackson Day, a commemoration long tied to Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. Council took no vote on Feb. 2 and scheduled the matter for decision at its Feb. 17 meeting.

The agenda item drew a steady stream of speakers who framed the question as one of history, race and community identity. Supporters of keeping the local holiday said the generals deserve recognition as military veterans; opponents said the holiday is painful to many residents because the Confederacy fought to preserve slavery. The council packet included a staff memo outlining the state and municipal history of the observance and several options staff said they could bring back if council votes to end the city holiday, including substituting Veterans Day or an alternate day written into the city holiday calendar.

Beau Trawick, a Richmond resident, said in support of the holiday that Lee and Jackson were "men of unshakable honor" and urged council not to "erase" history. In contrast, Charlottesville resident Brandon Collins urged the council to end the local observance, saying the Confederacy and its leaders fought to preserve slavery and that celebrating those generals is "insulting to the people in this city." Gabriela Silang, who identified herself as of Filipino descent and a Charlottesville resident, said community members did not need to be "schooled" on history by outsiders: "I will not stand here and let people come into these chambers and act like they're gonna school us on history." Mary Carey, a lifelong Charlottesville resident, told the council the holiday is offensive to many Black residents and argued the city should stop recognizing it as a paid municipal day.

City staff noted that the state of Virginia has a separate history and statutory approach to Lee‑Jackson and Martin Luther King Jr. Day and that any change by the city would affect only local paid time off for municipal employees. The staff memo and presentations noted that some Virginia localities already do not observe Lee‑Jackson Day as a city holiday and summarized replacement options staff would implement if council directs that change: adding Veterans Day, one of the days around Christmas, or creating a flexible holiday that employees could choose.

Council members and staff repeatedly stressed that the Feb. 2 session was a public hearing and that no formal action would be taken until the Feb. 17 meeting, when councilors will consider an ordinance to end the local observance and the precise replacement option for the municipal holiday schedule.

Council provided the public additional time to comment and asked staff to return with implementation details and impacts on municipal operations and employee pay if the council acts to end the local observance at the Feb. 17 meeting.