In Fairfax County, Robert E. Lee High School's new name will honor John Lewis
SPRINGFIELD, Va. (WJLA) - Students and alumni of the school formerly known as Robert E. Lee High were watching closely on Thursday afternoon, as Fairfax County school board members revealed the school's new name: John R. Lewis High School.
It's a decision that's been months in the making.
The new name will pay tribute to congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis, who died last week. Lewis' name was on the school district's shortlist even before he passed away, but in the days since his death, there's been a new push in support of it.
RELATED: John Lewis to lie in state at US Capitol next week
"Last night we heard from so many community members, students, and alumni about the amazing things that John Lewis did during his life. And I think many people would be proud to have that as the name of their school. I think it would be an honor for the community as well as I hope, the congressman's family," said School Board Member Tamara Derenak Kaufax.
The unanimous vote in favor of changing the school's name to John R. Lewis High School took place just before 6 p.m. Thursday.
“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.”
Several board members clapped and cheered when the unanimous vote was announced.
Back in February, Derenak Kaufax and at-large member Karen Keys-Gamarra. introduced the proposal to remove the Confederate leader's name from the school. Derenak Kaufax represents the district where the school is located.
"I really felt the name needed to be changed, because I didn't feel that names surrounding the confederacy are names that align with our current values in our society and in our schools today," she said.
The renaming process was delayed a bit when the coronavirus pandemic forced Fairfax County Public Schools to close in March, but the conversation resumed with a public hearing in June.
"The name is, in all honesty, an embarrassment to the many students that attend Lee High School. It's an 80 percent minority population that goes to that school every day. The choice is obvious to me," Kimberly Boateng, a rising senior at Robert E. Lee High School, said during that hearing in June.
Shortly after that hearing, the school board voted unanimously in favor of a name change.
RELATED: Fairfax County school board votes unanimously to rename Robert E. Lee High School
Then this week, the board held another public hearing so that community members could provide feedback on what the new name should be.
"To go from being named after Robert E. Lee to John Lewis, someone we all recognize as a civil rights hero, is something we hope to get done," said Nathnael Alazar, who graduated from the school in 2018. "We've been fighting this name issue for a long time, so now that it's actually happening, hopefully, John Lewis is the new name."
Ahead of Thursday's school board meeting and an expected vote on the school's new name, several school board members told ABC7 they supported the idea of renaming the school after the late John Lewis.
RELATED: Could Fairfax County's Robert E. Lee HS become John Lewis HS? We'll know this week.
Board member Karl Frisch even hinted at it Wednesday on social media, tweeting that he was "ready to get into some “good trouble” at tomorrow’s School Board meeting. #JohnLewisHS."
During the public comment portion of Thursday's meeting, one community member said she had organized a petition in support of renaming the school after John Lewis.
"If we want to change and inspire hope for the future and not build walls, then we begin with a change in name. A name that inspires," said Kelly Hebron. "A legacy is what we leave behind. Congressman Lewis leaves behind an amazing legacy. Naming the high school after him would be a fantastic tribute.”
The new name, John R. Lewis High School, will take effect before the start of the 2020-2021 school year.
“Our schools must be places where all students, staff, and members of the community feel safe and supported. I believe that John Lewis’ extraordinary life and advocacy for racial justice will serve as an inspiration to our students and community for generations to come," said Derenak Kaufax.
Sean Perryman, the president of Fairfax County's NAACP, shared his reaction right away on social media. He said that when he was the education chair of the Fairfax County NAACP in 2019, he was told they would "never remove Lee from this community".
"The vote to rename Robert E. Lee High School to John Lewis was unanimous," wrote Perryman. "Anything is possible."
Lee's name has already been removed from signs at the school. A spokesperson for Fairfax County Public Schools confirmed a portrait of Robert E. Lee has also been removed from the school's front lobby.