Fairfax High School drops Rebel nickname, Mosby Woods name change coming

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is the line?

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were slave owners.

Bull run was a battle won by the confederates

The references are everywhere in this area

While I am 100% fine with changing those names, the changes under discussion right now involve traitors to the U.S. it's a pretty low bar, let's clear it first and then see what else we want to change.

I'm a Mosby Woods parent and was very pleased to see the message about changing the name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is the line?

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were slave owners.

Bull run was a battle won by the confederates

The references are everywhere in this area

Jefferson and Madison were memorialized immediately and although everyone is opposed to slavery we understand it was customary at the time. They were not traitors, and they made contributions to our country unrelated to slavery whereas confederate names really do not have reason to be commemorated. What makes certain names worse about this part of Fairfax county is that much of the area including the Mosby Woods neighborhood was built during the Massive Resistance era to fight integration of schools by trying to drive away anyone who was not white from wanting to live here. Though times have changed, it is still a mostly white neighborhood. The school, however, is extraordinarily diverse, and there is no reason for those students to go to a school so named for the purpose of keeping them out. The school zoning does not include the Mosby Woods neighborhood, it primarily pulls from neighborhoods off Blake Lane. I believe Mosby Woods School changed its mascot from Raiders to Mustangs a while back, so there has been awareness and discussion of this name change for several years. I would love to see the confederate street names of the Mosby Woods neighborhood changed.

[Anonymous]

Glad to see leaders taking action rather than dithering or deferring to another 'study' or standing up a faceless 'committee.' The Army leadership's response to base naming was particularly pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Does a principal has that much power that he can unilaterally change the team name? Shouldn’t he at least try to get input from parents, students, and alumni?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does a principal has that much power that he can unilaterally change the team name? Shouldn’t he at least try to get input from parents, students, and alumni?

FCPS has said for a while that it’s up to local school administrators to make decisions about mascots (compared to school names) and for Fairfax City to make decisions about the names of the schools owned by Fairfax City, including Lanier.

The TJ principal has suggested she will get rid of “Colonials,” although in TJ’s case changing the mascot name and finding a way to admit a few more black kids is starting to seem like a Hail Mary to keep the School Board from shutting down the magnet program there entirely, as many now favor.

[Anonymous]

I think it is symbolic that the Fairfax HS principal responsible for this long overdue dumping of confederacy worship is an Asian American. Actions speak louder than words, and this principal went out of her way to make change faster and more decisively than anyone could have expected. I hope white allies can walk the walk and not just talk about change but do it, especially in cases that are so clear cut that it's embarrassing it took this long to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is symbolic that the Fairfax HS principal responsible for this long overdue dumping of confederacy worship is an Asian American. Actions speak louder than words, and this principal went out of her way to make change faster and more decisively than anyone could have expected. I hope white allies can walk the walk and not just talk about change but do it, especially in cases that are so clear cut that it's embarrassing it took this long to do it.

People have been complaining about the retention of the Rebels mascot for years. There was nothing particularly quick about Lenart's decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it is symbolic that the Fairfax HS principal responsible for this long overdue dumping of confederacy worship is an Asian American. Actions speak louder than words, and this principal went out of her way to make change faster and more decisively than anyone could have expected. I hope white allies can walk the walk and not just talk about change but do it, especially in cases that are so clear cut that it's embarrassing it took this long to do it.

People have been complaining about the retention of the Rebels mascot for years. There was nothing particularly quick about Lenart's decision.

She’s been principal for just under 2 years. She laid the groundwork for this announcement over the past year. She did good. Let’s see others step up and act.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since the opposite of "rebel" is sheeple, I think we found a new a new mascot.

You know, the motto of you aging commies used to be "Question Authority." That is somewhat synomomous with "be rebellious." Perhaps nuance of thought is a lost art these days.

Are you advocating for losers? Doesn’t it feel bad to think about how a group of Northern liberals plus Black soldiers absolutely destroyed the confederacy, till each of its soldiers and leaders was begging for mercy? Traitors. But also losers.

Please be gracious victors. Lets just right the wrongs and come together.

The North was gracious. They did not hang Lee and the other leader even though they were traitors. Being gracious was how we got schools named after traitors and losers.

[Anonymous]

Mosby was a pretty interesting fellow from a historical standpoint—after the civil war he condemned the confederacy and became a staunch supporter of the US, campaigned for Grant, appointed a diplomat, only to have his house burned down by Confederate arsonists who felt betrayed by his change of heart.

[Anonymous]

I think it's important to change Confederate names, but I'd prefer they spend their money on things like boundary studies to fix overcrowding too. Last I heard, all of those had been postponed for the unforeseeable future, yet all of these new name changes are being brought forth and acted upon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is the line?

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were slave owners.

Bull run was a battle won by the confederates

The references are everywhere in this area

Go ahead and move yourself to Falls Church City where they're working on this right now. We have bigger fish to fry.

[Anonymous]

I might be willing to live near Faifax High school now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's important to change Confederate names, but I'd prefer they spend their money on things like boundary studies to fix overcrowding too. Last I heard, all of those had been postponed for the unforeseeable future, yet all of these new name changes are being brought forth and acted upon.

FCPS doesn't care about overcrowded schools, their planning is atrocious, and their spending is wasteful.

But they can change school names.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is the line?

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were slave owners.

Bull run was a battle won by the confederates

The references are everywhere in this area

Go ahead and move yourself to Falls Church City where they're working on this right now. We have bigger fish to fry.

If they’ll have school next year, I just might