D.C.’s ‘Dave Thomas Circle’ renamed to honor Black baseball pioneer

A hazardous D.C. intersection once informally referred to as “Dave Thomas Circle” will be renamed to honor female African American baseball pioneer Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, officials said Wednesday.

For decades, drivers were stymied by confusing, congested traffic in Northeast Washington where First Street and New York and Florida avenues converged around a Wendy’s restaurant that closed in 2021. Though it wasn’t exactly a traffic circle, the area was unlovingly referred to as “Dave Thomas Circle” in a nod to the founder of the fast-food restaurant that was at its center.