1. The Virginia school board is being sued over school name changes by a supportive graduate.
2. The author expresses outrage over the Shenandoah County School Board’s decision to return to the name of a man who fought for slavery.
3. The author expresses sadness for the students hurt by this decision and supports the lawsuit filed against it.
decision to rename Mountain View High School. The renaming of the school was not just a symbolic gesture, but a step towards creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all students. It was a repudiation of a heritage that honored slavery and a desire for change.
However, I was outraged by the recent decision of the Shenandoah County School Board to return to the name of a man who fought to be allowed to buy and sell human beings. This is not a heritage that our community should honor. It is deeply hurtful and insensitive to the students who are directly affected by this decision.
I am thankful for the courage and conviction of Brianne Brown, A.D. Carter, and all the students who filed the lawsuit against the school board. I hope they are successful in their efforts to reverse this decision and promote a more inclusive and respectful educational environment.
Recently, I attended my granddaughters graduation from George Mason University and was struck by the diversity of the graduating class. As each graduate’s name was pronounced perfectly by a faculty member, I couldn’t help but think about the days of “massive resistance” in Virginia and Governor Harry F. Byrd’s fight against integration in public schools. It reminded me of the land taken from my wife’s father for a new high school in Falls Church, which the school board named after a Confederate traitor as a gesture of their racist resistance to school integration. That name lasted until 2018 when it was replaced in an act of reconciliation.
Listening to the names being called during the diploma ceremony, I felt no threat of replacement or fear of harm. Instead, I felt pride and awe at the accomplishments of these young people, their families, and friends. The cheers and shouts of joy during the naming of names might not sound conducive to peaceful reflection, but for me, it was a stirring moment that displayed the human courage and dedication of the graduates and the audience.
Our schools have not only survived but have become better because of the decision to rename them, and I hope that the Shenandoah County School Board will reconsider its recent decision and listen to the voices of the students and community who want a school environment that is inclusive and respectful for all.
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