Looks like some more schools need to have their names changed (Thomas Jefferson)

[Anonymous]

I've seen no evidence of Sandy Evans demeaning anyone, particularly students, even those some of the more vocal keepers (primarily old white people) try to make her seem like the anti-Christ. It really is a classic case of people lashing out when their white privilege is threatened.

She certainly did not listen to them. She had decided this before it ever started. If you read the FOIA, you would know that. She stacked the committees and worked behind the backs of the Stuart community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I've seen no evidence of Sandy Evans demeaning anyone, particularly students, even those some of the more vocal keepers (primarily old white people) try to make her seem like the anti-Christ. It really is a classic case of people lashing out when their white privilege is threatened.

She certainly did not listen to them. She had decided this before it ever started. If you read the FOIA, you would know that. She stacked the committees and worked behind the backs of the Stuart community.

Not true at all. She is far more cautious and less partisan than you want to claim.

If she'd decided this "before it ever started," it wouldn't have gone on for two years.

The people who think this change should only have been made if a majority of the community voted in favor have no appreciation for the history of civil rights in this country or understanding of how school boards make decisions. They change boundaries when they think it's in the best interests of the system as a whole. They don't have an obligation to poll the community, and usually the process is very similar to that followed here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They made the right decision, but I'm sure the battle over the new name of the school will be a ****show.

I agree, but I think Brabrand is smart and wants this done quickly. So I suspect he'll compress the time frame but make sure there are sufficient resources to mediate the upcoming meetings. Under Garza and Lockard, people were just thrown in rooms together and told to work it out using their adult voices. That didn't work out too well.

[Anonymous]

I haven't read the whole thread, but it is vital that this discussion include the fact that this school was named for Stuart in 1958.

That's four years after Brown v. Board.

Two years after Virginia voters decide to fund private schools with public funds in order to continue segregation.

One year after the Civil Rights Act is signed into law.

THE SAME YEAR Virginia was finally forced to desegregate.

This is not a coincidence. Confederate leaders were being honored BECAUSE OF the Civil Rights Movement, not in spite of it. These names were a deliberate "f*ck you" to all of the Black kids who would be able to walk through the doors of a brand new desegregated high school.

There's no history here except a history of white supremacy and involuntary desegregation. It was a choice made to humiliate Black children, and the fact that it took 60 years to be undone is abhorrent.

[Anonymous]

Not true at all. She is far more cautious and less partisan than you want to claim.

If she'd decided this "before it ever started," it wouldn't have gone on for two years.

The people who think this change should only have been made if a majority of the community voted in favor have no appreciation for the history of civil rights in this country or understanding of how school boards make decisions. They change boundaries when they think it's in the best interests of the system as a whole. They don't have an obligation to poll the community, and usually the process is very similar to that followed here.

Read the FOIA. It is clear that she wanted it from the beginning and had already wanted it. The meetings were just a façade. It was predetermined. She was likely surprised that there was as little support as she had assumed.

If it was a "compelling need" then it should not have been presented to the community as a decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thread, but it is vital that this discussion include the fact that this school was named for Stuart in 1958.

That's four years after Brown v. Board.

Two years after Virginia voters decide to fund private schools with public funds in order to continue segregation.

One year after the Civil Rights Act is signed into law.

THE SAME YEAR Virginia was finally forced to desegregate.

This is not a coincidence. Confederate leaders were being honored BECAUSE OF the Civil Rights Movement, not in spite of it. These names were a deliberate "f*ck you" to all of the Black kids who would be able to walk through the doors of a brand new desegregated high school.

There's no history here except a history of white supremacy and involuntary desegregation. It was a choice made to humiliate Black children, and the fact that it took 60 years to be undone is abhorrent.

"50
You are mistaken. Many schools were named throughout Virginia and the South for Confederates---long before the '50's. Just because you want to believe they did it out of spite for Brown v Board does not make it true. Read the FOIA docs that are posted. They wanted to believe that is why it was done--it was not and there is no documentation that supports it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thread, but it is vital that this discussion include the fact that this school was named for Stuart in 1958.

That's four years after Brown v. Board.

Two years after Virginia voters decide to fund private schools with public funds in order to continue segregation.

One year after the Civil Rights Act is signed into law.

THE SAME YEAR Virginia was finally forced to desegregate.

This is not a coincidence. Confederate leaders were being honored BECAUSE OF the Civil Rights Movement, not in spite of it. These names were a deliberate "f*ck you" to all of the Black kids who would be able to walk through the doors of a brand new desegregated high school.

There's no history here except a history of white supremacy and involuntary desegregation. It was a choice made to humiliate Black children, and the fact that it took 60 years to be undone is abhorrent.

"50
You are mistaken. Many schools were named throughout Virginia and the South for Confederates---long before the '50's. Just because you want to believe they did it out of spite for Brown v Board does not make it true. Read the FOIA docs that are posted. They wanted to believe that is why it was done--it was not and there is no documentation that supports it.

Head in the sand poster, please look at some of the materials assembled by the SPLC. It's very clear that there were spikes in the number of new Confederate names and monuments in the late 1950s as a response to Brown v. Board of Education.

Now wait for the claim that it was just getting a head start on the 100-year anniversary of the Civil War...by honoring Confederates!

[Anonymous]

The most compelling voice I've heard yet is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M20S98ndwkA at 7:25 Mr. Nicholas Hogan testifies - the only "person of color" to address the Board. I favored changing the name with the support of the community. Looks like it will be changed but there's a lot to learn from how this process has been conducted and to consider the views of both "sides" to this controversy. You should watch this clip. The contrast with the outraged white woman who follows and claims to speak for the dis-empowered, is priceless, and gives a new meaning to "white privilege". There's also something to learn about how some of our representatives disrespect their constituents. Read the FOIA materials to see how Sandy Evans and Pat Hynes conducted the public's business. Hopefully, the rest of this process is conducted respectfully and a modus vivendi is achieved and we can get back to supporting our HS with some pride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thread, but it is vital that this discussion include the fact that this school was named for Stuart in 1958.

That's four years after Brown v. Board.

Two years after Virginia voters decide to fund private schools with public funds in order to continue segregation.

One year after the Civil Rights Act is signed into law.

THE SAME YEAR Virginia was finally forced to desegregate.

This is not a coincidence. Confederate leaders were being honored BECAUSE OF the Civil Rights Movement, not in spite of it. These names were a deliberate "f*ck you" to all of the Black kids who would be able to walk through the doors of a brand new desegregated high school.

There's no history here except a history of white supremacy and involuntary desegregation. It was a choice made to humiliate Black children, and the fact that it took 60 years to be undone is abhorrent.

"50
You are mistaken. Many schools were named throughout Virginia and the South for Confederates---long before the '50's. Just because you want to believe they did it out of spite for Brown v Board does not make it true. Read the FOIA docs that are posted. They wanted to believe that is why it was done--it was not and there is no documentation that supports it.

Not only is there extensive evidence that Confederate monuments, schools, and flying the CBF went up during the Civil Rights movement, the very school was are discussing was named for a Confederate in 1958. So, yes, maybe in the big wide world there are a handful of schools named for Robert E Lee that were thusly named before Brown v. Board, but the evidence isn't on your side here.

[Anonymous]

Probably the most egregious example of schools being named after white supremacists as a middle finger to Black students in Nathan B. Forrest High School in Tennessee. Forrest was the founder of the KKK, if you didn't know.

Named in 1959, of course.

[Anonymous]

They named the school after a confederate and still wouldn't allow black kids to attend after Brown v. Board. So, I think we can put 1+1 together to get 2. You can't really believe that this was not part of the Massive Resistance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The most compelling voice I've heard yet is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M20S98ndwkA at 7:25 Mr. Nicholas Hogan testifies - the only "person of color" to address the Board. I favored changing the name with the support of the community. Looks like it will be changed but there's a lot to learn from how this process has been conducted and to consider the views of both "sides" to this controversy. You should watch this clip. The contrast with the outraged white woman who follows and claims to speak for the dis-empowered, is priceless, and gives a new meaning to "white privilege". There's also something to learn about how some of our representatives disrespect their constituents. Read the FOIA materials to see how Sandy Evans and Pat Hynes conducted the public's business. Hopefully, the rest of this process is conducted respectfully and a modus vivendi is achieved and we can get back to supporting our HS with some pride.

Nick Hogan has not been the only black or other minority to address the School Board, including that evening. Did you ignore Ken Longmyer's testimony? In prior meetings, other minority students, parents, and community members imploring the Board to change the name addressed the School Board.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're just unaware of the other testimony over the past two years, but this type of misstatement is fairly blatant and characteristic of the false statements by "anti-changers." For example, one woman testified last week that Stuart has had 100,000 graduates over its history (most, she claimed, deeply invested in the old name). That comes out to over 1750 seniors every year. Stuart typically has had graduating classes of about 400.

[Anonymous]

Not only is there extensive evidence that Confederate monuments, schools, and flying the CBF went up during the Civil Rights movement, the very school was are discussing was named for a Confederate in 1958. So, yes, maybe in the big wide world there are a handful of schools named for Robert E Lee that were thusly named before Brown v. Board, but the evidence isn't on your side here.

Trends have nothing to do with evidence. Just because you want to believe it does not mean it is true. These Board members supported and encouraged the demeaning of earlier Board members with no evidence. Look around Fairfax County. This was an area of the Deep South in those days. Manassas is just a few miles away.

[Anonymous]

Apologies - I overlooked Mr. Longmeyer as I didn't see him as a "person of color" - that's not meant to be offensive but rather that he didn't appear to me to be identifiably "black" - I admit to some difficulty with the whole "color" and "race" idea. I have heard many proponents of the name change but I thought Mr. Hogan's testimony was compelling and worthy of more notice. I intended no disrespect but simply to give Mr. Hogan's views more visibility - all in the interest of furthering a happy resolution to this issue and encouraging thoughtful consideration of others' views on all sides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apologies - I overlooked Mr. Longmeyer as I didn't see him as a "person of color" - that's not meant to be offensive but rather that he didn't appear to me to be identifiably "black" - I admit to some difficulty with the whole "color" and "race" idea. I have heard many proponents of the name change but I thought Mr. Hogan's testimony was compelling and worthy of more notice. I intended no disrespect but simply to give Mr. Hogan's views more visibility - all in the interest of furthering a happy resolution to this issue and encouraging thoughtful consideration of others' views on all sides.

Thoughtful consideration of views on all sides begins by acknowledging their existence. When you refer to Nick Hogan as the only person of color to have testified before the Board about the name change, when the School Board has heard from black, Hispanic and Asian witnesses supporting the name change over the past two years suggests you have a bit of catch-up work to do.