The Arlington County board voted unanimously Saturday to rename the portion of Lee Highway running through the county. It will be called Langston Boulevard, after John M. Langston, an abolitionist and attorney who became the first Black person from Virginia elected to Congress in 1890.

Langston was the founding dean of the Howard University Law School and served as Howard’s interim president from 1873 to 1875. He also served as the first president of what is now Virginia State University, a historically Black college.

Wilma Jones Kilgo, a fourth-generation Arlington resident and president of the John M. Langston Citizens Association, said it was inappropriate to have Lee’s namesake on a major thoroughfare when he owned slaves and fought for the Confederacy.

“It’s only fair that an abolitionist who fought for equality be recognized with this honor” she said.

The appearance of Lee’s name in other places in the county is under review. The county is in the midst of adopting a new seal and logo. The current versions feature a depiction of Lee’s home, which overlooks Arlington Cemetery and is operated by the National Park Service.