Virginia School Board Votes to Roll Back Renaming of Confederate Icon Schools

In a controversial move, a local Virginia school board has voted to roll back the renaming of two schools that were previously changed to remove Confederate ties. The Shenandoah County school board, in a 5-1 vote, decided to revert the names of Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School back to their original names honoring Confederate military and pro-slavery icons.

This decision comes in the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, which prompted the initial name changes to Mountain View High School and Honey Run Elementary School. However, the recent reversal has sparked both celebrations and condemnations within the community.

The move to reinstate the Confederate names is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation’s history, signaling a potential shift towards embracing Confederate symbols rather than moving away from them. A group of residents known as The Coalition for Better Schools advocated for the change, citing the importance of honoring the community’s heritage.

However, not everyone is in favor of the decision. A Black eighth-grader named Aaliyah Ogle spoke out against the reinstatement of the Confederate names, expressing that it would be disrespectful to her ancestors who were enslaved. She emphasized the importance of equality and condemned the glorification of individuals who fought to keep Black people in bondage.

As the community grapples with this divisive issue, the school board’s decision has sparked a larger conversation about the role of Confederate symbols in modern society. It remains to be seen whether the board will reconsider their vote in light of the backlash and differing perspectives within the community.