A Virginia high school named after Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee is being renamed to honor civil rights champion and congressman John Lewis.
The name change will be effective for the 2020-2021 school year and is a tribute to Lewis, who died last week after a six-month battle with cancer, the Fairfax County School Board announced Thursday.
ROBERT E LEE STATUE IN VIRGINIA shot down, snapped in two, police said
“We will also honor his life’s work by continuing to promote fairness, justice, tolerance and service in the work we do,” said school board president Ricardy Anderson in a statement.
The school began weighing options for a name change in June, in the context of national protests condemning racial inequalities. Officials held a month-long public comment period from the community to listen to suggestions on other names before voting for Lewis as the new namesake.
“The name Robert E. Lee is forever connected to the Confederation, and the Confederate values are the ones that don’t align with our community,” said Tamara Derenak Kaufax, member of the Lee District School Board, who helped propose the initiative.
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“Our schools must be places where all students, staff, and community members feel safe and supported. I believe that John Lewis’s extraordinary life and advocacy for racial justice will inspire our students and the community for generations to come. “
