The Fairfax County School Board has voted to rename Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield after the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
Lewis, a civil rights leader and activist, served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat from Georgia from 1987 through this year. He was one of the organizers of the 1963 March on Washington.
The school, built in 1958, was one of about a dozen schools nationwide named for the Confederate general. About 1,800 students attend the school, which is in the Franconia neighborhood.
The school board voted to rename the school in June. Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand submitted recommendations for a new name for the school at that time, which included Lewis. Lewis passed away earlier this month.
Other suggestions included Barack Obama, Mildred Loving, Cesar Chavez, Legacy, and Central Springfield, though the school board could have chosen a new name entirely.
“The Board heard from students, teachers and staff members, families, and the community about the old name,” said School Board Chair Ricardy Anderson. “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. We will also honor his life’s work by continuing to promote equity, justice, tolerance and service in the work that we do.”
Lee High School is not the only one in this area facing calls for a change: A group of residents are also calling to change the name of Alexandria's T.C. Williams High School, named for a local superintendent who opposed desegregation in schools. In recent days, students have taken to putting sheets and towels over the name of the high school on a daily basis in a symbolic gesture against racism and segregation.
