Stuart community members urge school board to change school’s name
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| Stuart High School students who support a name change for the school held a rally in November in front of Stuart. |
The name of JEB Stuart High School should be changed because “along
with the name, comes a history of racism, inequality, and oppression,” Stuart
senior Lidia Amanuel told the Fairfax County school board Dec. 17 at a public
hearing on a proposal to change the board’s policy on school names.
Stuart is a diverse school with students from more than
70 countries, and “many of us don’t identify with the ideals of the Confederacy that JEB Stuart
stood for,” Amanuel said. Changing the name would end the school system’s “tolerance of
institutionalized racism.”
70 countries, and “many of us don’t identify with the ideals of the Confederacy that JEB Stuart
stood for,” Amanuel said. Changing the name would end the school system’s “tolerance of
institutionalized racism.”
Later that evening, the school board voted unanimously to
adopt a new policy on school names. The measure, proposed by board member Sandy
Evans (Mason), doesn’t specifically address Stuart High School, which is named
for a Confederate general, or any other school, but it does clear the way for
such a proposal to be introduced later.
Under the current policy, school names can only be changed
if the use of the building changes. “This modest revision would permit the
school board to change a name if there is a good reason to do so,” Evans said.
if the use of the building changes. “This modest revision would permit the
school board to change a name if there is a good reason to do so,” Evans said.
During the board discussion before the vote, at-large member
Ted Velkoff said he supports the goal of eradicating racism and honoring U.S.
Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, as many of those who support a name change for
Stuart recommend, but warned against a wholesale renaming of schools, noting “Civil
War history is complicated.”
Ted Velkoff said he supports the goal of eradicating racism and honoring U.S.
Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, as many of those who support a name change for
Stuart recommend, but warned against a wholesale renaming of schools, noting “Civil
War history is complicated.”
The possibility of having two high schools named Marshall “could
potentially be a stumbling block,” he said. The other one is named for Gen. George C.
Marshall. Instead, he suggested naming an elementary or middle school for
Thurgood Marshall.
potentially be a stumbling block,” he said. The other one is named for Gen. George C.
Marshall. Instead, he suggested naming an elementary or middle school for
Thurgood Marshall.
“There is no way we’re going to have two Marshall high
schools,” said board member Elizabeth Schultz (Springfield). She
proposed renaming Stuart for former President Ronald Reagan, citing his
leadership in establishing a national holiday honoring Martin Luther King. She
also warned against going too far in changing names, although in the end she
voted for the policy change.
schools,” said board member Elizabeth Schultz (Springfield). She
proposed renaming Stuart for former President Ronald Reagan, citing his
leadership in establishing a national holiday honoring Martin Luther King. She
also warned against going too far in changing names, although in the end she
voted for the policy change.
Everyone who spoke at the public hearing urged the school
board to change the name of Stuart High School to honor Justice Marshall.
board to change the name of Stuart High School to honor Justice Marshall.
Stephen Spitz, a Lake Barcroft resident and retired civil
rights and constitutional law attorney, said, “Justice Marshall was not only
the leading advocate arguing for the abolition of racial segregation in Brown
v. Board of Education, but was also a legendary defender
of equal protection of the laws for everyone. He is the perfect
symbol of the diversity of the student body at the high school and would be a
wonderful inspiration to the students, the faculty, the administration, the
staff, and the larger community.”
rights and constitutional law attorney, said, “Justice Marshall was not only
the leading advocate arguing for the abolition of racial segregation in Brown
v. Board of Education, but was also a legendary defender
of equal protection of the laws for everyone. He is the perfect
symbol of the diversity of the student body at the high school and would be a
wonderful inspiration to the students, the faculty, the administration, the
staff, and the larger community.”
“Make no mistake. JEB Stuart High School was not
named to honor a Confederate general’s role in the Civil War,” Spitz said. ”The school was named as part of Virginia’s ‘massive resistance’ to
school integration.”
named to honor a Confederate general’s role in the Civil War,” Spitz said. ”The school was named as part of Virginia’s ‘massive resistance’ to
school integration.”
After the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Brown that separate schools for black and white students were inherently
unequal and therefore unconstitutional, segregationists who controlled the
government in Virginia, “were determined to defy the Brown decision,” he said.
unequal and therefore unconstitutional, segregationists who controlled the
government in Virginia, “were determined to defy the Brown decision,” he said.
During that period, recounted in the new book, A Nation of Nations: A Great American Immigration Story, by Tom Gjelten, Virginia mandated the closure of any school
under an integration order and cut off state funding for any school that
attempted on its own to integrate, Spitz said. “When the school board in
Arlington County dared to propose a modest integration plan, the state board of
education rejected the plan and fired the entire Arlington board.”
under an integration order and cut off state funding for any school that
attempted on its own to integrate, Spitz said. “When the school board in
Arlington County dared to propose a modest integration plan, the state board of
education rejected the plan and fired the entire Arlington board.”
“Fairfax County officials did not merely refuse to comply
with the Supreme Court’s order, they defiantly named
their next two high schools after Confederate Army generals: JEB Stuart and
Robert E. Lee,” he said.
with the Supreme Court’s order, they defiantly named
their next two high schools after Confederate Army generals: JEB Stuart and
Robert E. Lee,” he said.
Spitz urged the
school to rename Stuart High School for Justice Thurgood Marshall “to help
Fairfax County move forward into the 21st century instead of continuing to
honor its troubled past.”
school to rename Stuart High School for Justice Thurgood Marshall “to help
Fairfax County move forward into the 21st century instead of continuing to
honor its troubled past.”
Jessica Swanson, who lives near Stuart, also called upon the
school board to rename the school for Marshall, noting he was a longtime foe of
segregation, chief architect of the legal strategy to end segregation, argued
the Brown case before the Supreme Court, and was the first African American Supreme
Court justice.
school board to rename the school for Marshall, noting he was a longtime foe of
segregation, chief architect of the legal strategy to end segregation, argued
the Brown case before the Supreme Court, and was the first African American Supreme
Court justice.
Marshall dedicated his life to bringing us together,”
Swanson said, and was not, like Stuart, “dedicated to fighting to tear us apart.”
Swanson said, and was not, like Stuart, “dedicated to fighting to tear us apart.”
Changing the name of a school may seen a low priority
compared to budget cuts and achievement gaps, “but small indignities matter, symbolism
matters,” said Tina Hone, a former school board member and head of the
Coalition of The Silence, a group advocating for minority students.
compared to budget cuts and achievement gaps, “but small indignities matter, symbolism
matters,” said Tina Hone, a former school board member and head of the
Coalition of The Silence, a group advocating for minority students.
The anti-integrationists who chose the name Stuart “knew
exactly what it symbolized,” Hone said. “Naming the school after the late great
Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who lived in one of the neighborhoods
that feeds into Stuart and who through his leadership in Brown v. Board of Education,
changed the face of public education in this nation, would be the right
symbolism.”
exactly what it symbolized,” Hone said. “Naming the school after the late great
Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who lived in one of the neighborhoods
that feeds into Stuart and who through his leadership in Brown v. Board of Education,
changed the face of public education in this nation, would be the right
symbolism.”
While some may say the name should be changed to honor a
prominent Latino given the makeup of the
school’s student body, Hone said, the civil rights victories won by
Marshall “set the precedents on which the rights of nearly every minority
community stand.”
prominent Latino given the makeup of the
school’s student body, Hone said, the civil rights victories won by
Marshall “set the precedents on which the rights of nearly every minority
community stand.”
Mike O’Brien, a member of the board of the Fairfax County NAACP, said a school named for a Confederate general is no longer appropriate in
2015.
2015.
The only good reasons to name a school for an individual are
to honor someone whose values benefit the community or whose accomplishments
serve as an inspiration, O’Brien said.
to honor someone whose values benefit the community or whose accomplishments
serve as an inspiration, O’Brien said.
Stuart, on the other hand “fought in open rebellion against
the government of the United States in support of slavery,” he said. Stuart
High School has a significant number of students of color, and the messages they
might absorb from the name of their school are,” You are less than equal than
your white counterparts here,” and “this county still has a grudge against
those who won the Civil War.”
the government of the United States in support of slavery,” he said. Stuart
High School has a significant number of students of color, and the messages they
might absorb from the name of their school are,” You are less than equal than
your white counterparts here,” and “this county still has a grudge against
those who won the Civil War.”
The messages that the school should convey, he said, are, “we
are all equal here and we are all worthy.”
are all equal here and we are all worthy.”
23 responses to “Stuart community members urge school board to change school’s name”
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I burst out laughing at Elizabeth Schultz's suggestion to name yet another public building in this area after Ronzo Reagan. Trust her to twist what could be a positive reaffirmation of human dignity into a shallow partisan gesture. Her farcical proposal is yet another example of why the GOP is dead in Fairfax.
You burst out laughing? I was yelling. I agree with you, though.
As a Stuart alum, class of '86, I can immediately see how ridiculous a choice that would be. *shudder*
I do not see how changing the name to Ronald Reagan is against Human Dignity. Did I miss that Reagan was racist at some point?
2:13–Don't try to pass a reading SOL if that comment is evidence of your comprehension. No one (except you) said naming the school RRHS would be against human dignity. What was said by others–and I concur–is that it would be a shallow partisan gesture compared to the affirmation of human dignity by renaming it for Justice Marshall after all these years of being named for JEB Stuart.
Can we drop the names altogether and go with PS#, it works in other cities just fine.
You make an interesting point. The majority of Fairfax high schools bear place names. Of the ones named after persons, only Stuart and Lee are controversial. If all else fails, renaming Stuart (and possibly Lee) with a generic place name seems like an acceptable option.
Yuck! I hate that tradition. What does a generic number say about how much consideration is put into any given school, its students, staff, and so on?
In most societies and throughout history, the name you give to a person (or thing) is of importance. When people assign a name carelessly or mockingly, society usually responds accordingly. On the one hand, "a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet," but on the other, a cold number is usually reserved for mass-produced and disposable/replaceable objects.
I see absolutely no need to take that route here.
I agree. Too much unnecessary drama with names
Why not just rename the school to Peace Valley High School!
Not a bad idea.
Why not stop revising history.
Get a life.
Why not stop living in the past?
No one tell this guy about the existence of constitutional amendments, he may explode.
Having lived here for most of my 63yr's, I will say that this is just stupid.
Virgina has it's history, good or bad. That debate will out live me, but to try to hide the people that added to it is like the book burning in Germany during the 30's. I believe this leads back to a poor educational system that doesn't have the time to let students to make rational judgments. Instead we have a movie "star" that needs some press!!
Here Here! I agree with you 100%.
As a JSHS parent, I know the students were advocating for this change before the movie star added her voice to a concern that wasn't being heard. But since you hadn't heard about it, it wasn't happening, apparently.
Is it possible that this issue arises because the students _are_ learning how to think for themselves and make rational judgments? Nah…it couldn't be that.
Changing the name wouldn't change the history, so it's not the equivalent to book burning. But it's a reasonable question to ask whether the honor bestowed by putting the name on the school is merited by that history. In my opinion, it is not.
Thank you, Andrew.
I attended Stuart HS years ago, and even then, as a freshman, thought it was a little odd to keep honoring someone who was, essentially, a traitor. It didn't jibe well with me and my classmates then, and it hasn't
gone over well with many students since then (including one young woman I work with who graduated about 6 years ago). This issue isn't new at all.
A name change, as you said, wouldn't rewrite history (we can leave that up to the people who dictate what goes in history texts in Texas), but would acknowledge the fact that times have changed, and most people no longer want to cheer for those who, like Stuart, tried to tear our nation apart, nor do they want to support those who, again, tried to divide our society in the 20th century.
I've lived in this area most of my life and am well aware of historic facilities that have been preserved (my mother worked for years with the National Park Service at Arlington House), events that are commemorated along roadsides, buildings, tours, and re-enactments, and reams of historic documents and books carefully archived everywhere. That's where our history can live on; those books will not be burned. Let's change the school's name, and if it pleases the grumps, stick a bronze placard at the building's entrance explaining what the name of the school used to be, and how our free-thinking students and engaged community members saw fit to change it.
well said 840.
I'm a JEB Stuart Raider forever. That was my HS name and that is what is on my diploma, and I am proud of that. I hope the name never changes.
yeeee haw!
Good for you! More Alumni need to stand up.
This name controversy issue may be worth fighting over — but can't help feeling the school's tenuous grip on accreditation is a bigger issue. Good God, in Fairfax County no less. Where is the outrage?
How much do you know about the accreditation problem? What outrage are you looking for? From whom? Towards whom?