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From Teaching Tolerance - Name Change on Schools in the South.
Name Changers
Names That Send a Message
School names can be subtle yet powerful symbols, say sociologists who have studied the place of school names in community culture. As a rule, communities seek to honor historical figures as a way to communicate identity and values to the students inside, the surrounding community and even outsiders.
This has often presented jarring cultural and social rifts in states of the former Confederacy. As the civil rights movement gained momentum in the 1950s, many white-controlled communities consciously named public buildings after (usually) men who held segregationist beliefs and ties to white supremacist groups. Due to the timing, the intent can be interpreted as both an effort to reassure white supremacists and remind African Americans of their “proper place” in the social hierarchy.
For students and staff of color, the lasting message has been that they must accept a culture that disrespects and denigrates them, that they are second-class citizens. Citizens like Richmond, though, are no longer willing to leave that message unchallenged, especially in places of education. They want their children to attend schools with values and symbols that safeguard their kids’ sense of self, safety and inclusion rather than reinforce exclusion and subjugation. Updating a school’s name can be a step toward that goal.
Names That Send a Message
School names can be subtle yet powerful symbols, say sociologists who have studied the place of school names in community culture. As a rule, communities seek to honor historical figures as a way to communicate identity and values to the students inside, the surrounding community and even outsiders.
This has often presented jarring cultural and social rifts in states of the former Confederacy. As the civil rights movement gained momentum in the 1950s, many white-controlled communities consciously named public buildings after (usually) men who held segregationist beliefs and ties to white supremacist groups. Due to the timing, the intent can be interpreted as both an effort to reassure white supremacists and remind African Americans of their “proper place” in the social hierarchy.
“When you choose a name like Nathan Bedford Forrest for a school, it’s clear what value you’re wanting to uphold at that particular moment in time,” says Leslie Harris, associate professor of history and African American studies at Atlanta’s Emory University. “You’re sending a message—it’s not even a subtle message.”
For students and staff of color, the lasting message has been that they must accept a culture that disrespects and denigrates them, that they are second-class citizens. Citizens like Richmond, though, are no longer willing to leave that message unchallenged, especially in places of education. They want their children to attend schools with values and symbols that safeguard their kids’ sense of self, safety and inclusion rather than reinforce exclusion and subjugation. Updating a school’s name can be a step toward that goal.
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Teaching Tolerance
