Blackface turmoil comes amid bid to honor black tennis great

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A movement to rename a Richmond, Virginia, thoroughfare for groundbreaking black tennis player Arthur Ashe Jr. is cresting just as the state finds itself in turmoil over a blackface scandal involving the governor and attorney general.

Ashe’s nephew, David Harris Jr. says the two unrelated developments could offer an opportunity to start a conversation about race at a pivotal time.

A proposal to rename the street named Boulevard after Ashe has been defeated twice since Ashe’s death in 1993.

A third proposal makes its way to the City Council for a vote on Monday. Some residents and business owners say they don’t want to change the name of a historic street.

Ashe won three Grand Slam titles and was the first black player selected to the U.S. Davis Cup team.