The school board in Shenandoah County, Virginia, has given its approval to a proposal that aims to restore the names of Confederate military leaders to two public schools.
The board voted 5-1 in favor of reversing a decision made in 2020 by a previous board to rename schools associated with Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Turner Ashby. These individuals played significant roles in leading the pro-slavery Southern states during the Civil War.
Mountain View High School will revert to its original name, Stonewall Jackson High School. Similarly, Honey Run Elementary School will be renamed Ashby-Lee Elementary School.
The board decided to remove their names following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, which sparked a nationwide movement for racial justice and equality. This powerful call to action motivated many communities to take down Confederate symbols and statues honoring Confederate generals.
In Shenandoah County, a conservative group called the Coalition for Better Schools has petitioned school officials to restore the names of Jackson, Lee, and Ashby. The coalition argues that revisiting this decision is crucial in order to honor the community’s heritage and respect the wishes of the majority. According to a letter posted online on April 3, the coalition stated, “We believe that revisiting this decision is essential to honor our community’s heritage and respect the wishes of the majority.”
In 2022, a motion similar to this was brought before the board. However, it did not pass due to a tie vote.
According to meeting minutes from July 9, 2020, the board voted 5-1 to change the names. The resolution aimed to condemn racism and reaffirm the division’s commitment to creating an inclusive school environment for all.
According to current board members, they believe that the decision made by the 2020 board was rushed and lacked sufficient input from the community. Prior to the board’s vote, approximately 80 individuals expressed their opposition to the idea of reverting back to the original names.
Over the past ten years, the use of Confederate symbols has sparked strong divisions in society.
In June 2015, a devastating mass shooting targeting the Black community took place at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. This tragic event sparked intense discussions regarding the public exhibition of the Confederate flag and the honoring of the Confederacy. Consequently, South Carolina officials made the decision to remove the Confederate flag from the state Capitol grounds.
In 2017, Charlottesville, Virginia witnessed a wave of neo-Nazis and white nationalists gathering for the infamous “Unite the Right” rally. This event was fueled by their opposition to the removal of a statue of Lee from the city’s Market Street Park, formerly referred to as Lee Park.
The legacy of the Confederacy regained national attention amidst the protests against racism following Floyd’s murder. In 2020, the Southern Poverty Law Center recorded the removal or relocation of at least 160 public Confederate symbols from various public spaces.
According to a statement by Lecia Brooks, the chief of staff at the SPLC, these racist symbols not only perpetuate a distorted version of history but also reinforce the notion that white supremacy is morally acceptable. The SPLC strongly advocates for the removal of all symbols of white supremacy from public spaces.
Conservative groups in the U.S. are growing more resistant to initiatives aimed at addressing race in American education. This resistance is evident in Shenandoah County, where a vote has recently taken place. These groups seek to restrict classroom conversations about racial identity, prohibit the inclusion of library books that touch on racial themes, and undermine diversity plans.
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