Lexington will rename the city-owned Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery.
City council voted unanimously late Thursday night after hearing from dozens of citizens.
Marilyn Alexander is the only African American member of council. "Changing the name on that sign, that I have passed by for 67 years, is not for my benefit," Alexander said during the meeting. "It’s not for my peers, Black or white. It’s too late for that. It’s for the benefit of all the young people who have been speaking out. It’s for the benefit of my children, my grandchildren."
Council did not choose a new name, but will gather suggestions and decide later this summer.
The cemetery was given the Jackson name in 1949 when a church donated it to the city, according to a briefing from the city manager. The Confederate general is buried there.
