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Committee Recommends City Reconsider Name Of Dixie Classic Fair

Members of the Fair Planning Committee discuss the city's survey results during a meeting on June 10, 2019. KERI BROWN/WFDD

The Dixie Classic Fair in Winston-Salem is one step closer to getting a new name. The fair planning committee voted unanimously to recommend that the city reconsider the event's name. It also wants more time to discuss what that would be, if city council approves the change.

The panel reviewed a breakdown of public input collected from several sources.

More than 11,000 thousand people participated. A majority said they wanted to keep the name.

Some people say “Dixie Classic” evokes images of slavery and the Confederacy.

But supporters say it's not offensive and is used in well-known brand names.

Committee member Karen McHugh says it was a tough decision, but she feels changing the name is best for the fair's future.

“If we want people to be moving here, if we want to be a modern, progressive city, a city of arts and innovation, to take something like this that's family oriented, that's community oriented and kind of move it along to keep up with the rest of the times, I think is really important as a city,” says McHugh.

The Dixie Classic name has been used for the fair since 1956. The planning committee has not yet recommended a new name. Members want more time and resources from city leaders for this process.

City Council will vote on the issue in August. The change would go into effect next year.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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