A proposal to rename the Rochester International Airport after a civil rights leader is moving forward.

At the Monroe County Office Building, bipartisan legislation was introduced that will change the name of the Rochester International Airport to honor local humans rights leader Frederick Douglass.

What You Need To Know

  • Monroe County introduced bipartisan legislation to rename the Rochester International Airport

  • The push is to name the airport after Frederick Douglass

  • The final vote on renaming legislation is expected August 11

Earlier this month, a local man let the fight to rename the airport by starting a change.org petition that quickly picked up steam online.

“And the overwhelming support from thousands of people within days of the petition in the message that Frederick Douglass bestowed on this great nation was amazing,” said petition organizer Richard Glaser.

The legislation comes at a time when there is a movement to honor more Black historical figures and leaders publicly, along with several calls to rename buildings and other institutions that pay tribute to individuals with connections to slavery and other forms of racial inequality.

“The first name they see when they come to Rochester is now Frederick Douglass. I think it’s very appropriate for what he’s accomplished in his life and what he meant to the city and what he meant to the cause of abolition,” said Vince Felder, (D) Monroe County legislator and minority leader.

Lawmakers say the historic name change will now greet travelers as they are welcomed to our community and represents what Monroe County stands for: an equal place for visitors as well as those living in Rochester.

“His legacy of support and activism for marginalized populations, especially people of color and women, has lived on and deserves to be recognized and elevated,” said Karla Boyce, (R) Monroe County legislator.

A final vote on the legislation is expected on August 11.