Alexandria's high school and one of its elementary schools officially have new names.
Starting July 1, the school formerly known as T.C. Williams High School will be renamed Alexandria City High School. The schools athletic teams will still be called the Titans.
Matthew Maury Elementary School will become Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School.
T.C. Williams was named for former ACPS superintendent Thomas Chambliss Williams, who opposed desegregation. The Identity Project webpage from ACPS described him as "a staunch segregationist whose views could not have been more inconsistent with the vibrant, diverse and inclusive place we know today."
While the high school renaming is a significant step in rejecting racism, members of the school's football team had a harsh reminder of its reality today. Earlier this month, members of the Titans football team were called racist names during a football game at James W Robinson, Jr. Secondary School in Fairfax County. T.C. Williams' coaches ended the game during the fourth quarter, and local government and school system officials are working with the Virginia High School League (VHSL) to address this issue.
Renaming the two schools was an extensive process that included read-ins, polls and multiple community meetings.
In polling of community members by ACPS earlier this year, Alexandria High School got the most votes out of more than a dozen options. City was added later.
The finalist names for the school formerly known as T.C. Williams High School were:
- Alexandria High School
- Titan Community High School
- Ruth Bader Ginsberg High School
The finalist names for Matthew Maury Elementary School were:
- Naomi Brooks Elementary School
- Rosemont Park Elementary School
- Jean Reid Elementary School
Matthew Maury Elementary School was named after a Virginia resident who was considered the founder of oceanography — who was also a Confederate Navy member. Maury tried to establish a Confederate colony in Mexico after the South lost the war.
The names Naomi Brooks may not be familiar to everyone. Brooks was a teacher in Alexandria for several decades and was much loved in the community. She passed away in 2020.
