School board renames Lee High School for John Lewis
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| Lee High School [Fox5] |
The Fairfax County School Board voted July 23 to rename Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield after the late U.S. Congressman John R. Lewis. The new name will be effective for the 2020-21 school year.
“The board heard from students, teachers and staff members, families, and the community about the old name,” said school board chair Ricardy Anderson, who represents Mason District on the board. “It was important for us to be mindful of these comments and to select a name that reflected the diversity and multiculturalism that currently exists at the school and in our community,”
“Rep. Lewis was a champion of the civil rights movement, and our board strongly believes this is an appropriate tribute to an individual who is a true American hero,” Anderson said. “We will also honor his life’s work by continuing to promote equity, justice, tolerance, and service in the work that we do.”
Related story: Fairfax County schools will stay virtual this fall
“The name Robert E. Lee is forever connected to the Confederacy, and Confederate values are ones that do not align with our community,” said school board member Tamara Derenak Kaufax (Lee).
“Our schools must be places where all students, staff, and members of the community feel safe and supported. I believe that John Lewis’ extraordinary life and advocacy for racial justice will serve as an inspiration to our students and community for generations to come,” said Derenak Kaufax, who proposed the name change along with Karen Keys-Gamarra (at-large).
Lewis died on July 17, after representing George in the U.S. House of Representatives for 33 years. He was one of the original organizers of the 1963 March on Washington to draw attention to inequalities faced by African Americans.
Lewis also led the Selma to Montgomery march across in 1965 in Alabama do demand voting rights for African Americans. He was among the marchers attacked and injured by armed police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma on what was known as Bloody Sunday. That event led to passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
He was the recipient of many awards throughout his lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
The first effort to drop a Confederate name from a Fairfax County school happened in the Mason District. The school board voted in October 2017 to change the name of JEB Stuart High School in Seven Corners to Justice High School.
Also on July 23, the school board voted to rename the Columbus Day school holiday as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
That motion, proposed by school board member Melanie Meren (Hunter Mill), states: “The land on which this nation rests had been occupied by indigenous peoples for thousands of years prior to the arrival of Europeans. Indigenous peoples have been and continue to be the victims of prejudice and systematic discrimination as a result of 500 years of oppression and violence that began with European colonization, and it extends to the systematic oppression indigenous people face today throughout the Americas.”
This shift aligns with FCPS’s work to significantly revise curriculum and professional development to address the overrepresentation of white and Eurocentric history and the lack of diverse perspectives in social studies courses.
On July 21, the school board agreed with Superintendent Scott Brabrand’s proposal to delay the reopening of schools and to start the school year with virtual learning for all students.
3 responses to “School board renames Lee High School for John Lewis”
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How does this teach the children. Why are we using our hard earned tax dollars to change a name. This money can buy computers, new desks, books, lunches, etc. Lewis would rather do that. It is sickening how FFC is blow our tax dollars for political reasons. If this continues, I beg the parents to start home schooling. Our taxes continue to go up simply because of the liberals in this city. Time to get the heck out of here. Thank God, I have no children in public schools. It has been high-jacked by the unions. Even teacher friends think this is nuts and the money could be spent elsewhere.
Bye felicia
May you leave in peace. I am also very glad you have no offspring to re-educate on the real heroes of the civil war. Lee was a traitor to the Union. I am not a liberal, I am a veteran who served my country. I will gladly pay my taxes so that the children learn why we protect the constitution and the union of the United States. The name of the school needs to be changed. Feel free to leave the area!