New Name for JEB Stuart HS - 9/16 Community Vote

[Anonymous]

Discriminatory names aren't common sense. JEB Stuart and Stuart are both unacceptable.

Seriously? Why is "Stuart" discriminatory? Because it's not your choice?

No one is honoring anyone with the name. It is common sense to save money and confusion. And, it was suggested in the spirit of compromise. Not to honor Jeb Stuart, but to respect the fact that most people indicated they preferred to keep the name. And, no, they are not racist just because they formed an attachment to the school they attend or attended. Changing the name takes that away.

And, how is a name "discriminatory" in any case? Did the name cause you to lose a job? Did the name cause you to make less money? Did the name exclude you from something? Were you forced to sit in the back of the class? Please explain.

[Anonymous]

I propose we call it stu

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Discriminatory names aren't common sense. JEB Stuart and Stuart are both unacceptable.

Seriously? Why is "Stuart" discriminatory? Because it's not your choice?

No one is honoring anyone with the name. It is common sense to save money and confusion. And, it was suggested in the spirit of compromise. Not to honor Jeb Stuart, but to respect the fact that most people indicated they preferred to keep the name. And, no, they are not racist just because they formed an attachment to the school they attend or attended. Changing the name takes that away.

And, how is a name "discriminatory" in any case? Did the name cause you to lose a job? Did the name cause you to make less money? Did the name exclude you from something? Were you forced to sit in the back of the class? Please explain.

Why do you keep lying? Most people on 9/16 preferred a name other than Stuart. Only 18% of the votes in total went to Stuart. The community is read for and wants change.

The name is discriminatory because it honors a white supremacist who fought to perpetuate slavery, and minority kids shouldn't have to put up with that crap.

[Anonymous]

Why do you keep lying? Most people on 9/16 preferred a name other than Stuart. Only 18% of the votes in total went to Stuart. The community is read for and wants change.

The name is discriminatory because it honors a white supremacist who fought to perpetuate slavery, and minority kids shouldn't have to put up with that crap.

Most people did not show up to vote because they had already voted--more than once. And, the majority voted early on to keep the name.

I agree it was a poor choice of names. But, it has been the name of the school for a long time. The taxpayers of Fairfax County deserve to have their money go to education. This will not help one bit.

And, most people preferred a name other than Marshall Most people preferred a name other than Johns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The school board needs to have a backbone and say it's not changing the name or it is. They estimate $500,000 for "changing" to Stuart. I'd rather them keep it as JEB Sturat rather than spending that money because NO ONE will think it's any other Stuart than JEB. That is just a ridiculous use of taxpayer dollars for no principled reason. The fact that they are the ones that floated it as a change the community should get behind doesn't give me any confidence that they won't go forward with that farce. They will foot the entire bill for that change because I can't imagine anyone in their right mind donating to such a ridiculous "change."

If I had been the SB, when this first came up, they should have just said that--in the future, any purchases of equipment, etc, will drop the "JEB". Most people just called it Stuart, in any case. Money would only be spent as replacements were needed.

As for all this chatter about honoring Jeb, that doesn't really occur in these schools. Do they have JEB Stuart day that honors Jeb? Most of the kids did not even know anything about him.

This whole thing has been a witch hunt that is costing the taxpayers. And, it will continue with other schools.

Drop the Jeb. Change the equipment as necessary. Move forward. Cost: nul

+1. I went to George C. Marshall. I'd be shocked if even 25% of my graduating class could tell you about him.

[Anonymous]

I went to JEB Stuart and can definitely say that (1) most people were aware he was a Confederate general, and (2) by the time the county painted over the Confederate flag on our gym floor, the county was somewhat embarrassed to have named a school after him.

I'll always have attended JEB Stuart HS, but future students deserve better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Discriminatory names aren't common sense. JEB Stuart and Stuart are both unacceptable.

Seriously? Why is "Stuart" discriminatory? Because it's not your choice?

No one is honoring anyone with the name. It is common sense to save money and confusion. And, it was suggested in the spirit of compromise. Not to honor Jeb Stuart, but to respect the fact that most people indicated they preferred to keep the name. And, no, they are not racist just because they formed an attachment to the school they attend or attended. Changing the name takes that away.

And, how is a name "discriminatory" in any case? Did the name cause you to lose a job? Did the name cause you to make less money? Did the name exclude you from something? Were you forced to sit in the back of the class? Please explain.

The name Munson Hill HS was dropped in favor of JEB Stuart HS to intimidate black kids and to try to keep them from attending the school when Brown v Board of Education was decided. The name was chosen as a part of the massive resistance movement to tell black kids they were not welcome. Not even in the back of the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to JEB Stuart and can definitely say that (1) most people were aware he was a Confederate general, and (2) by the time the county painted over the Confederate flag on our gym floor, the county was somewhat embarrassed to have named a school after him.

I'll always have attended JEB Stuart HS, but future students deserve better.

Our country is no longer in anyway embarrassed to have named a school after him. There are people fighting tooth and nail to keep the name. Things have definitely changed since I went to school, and not for the better. No matter what the name change, this process will be a loss in my eyes because it opened them to the biogotry that now permeates the community in which my impressionable kids are growing up. We will all retreat into our smaller communities of people from our own ethnic backgrounds, with no empathy for what others have experienced. Not the America I envisioned 20 years ago, but such is life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to JEB Stuart and can definitely say that (1) most people were aware he was a Confederate general, and (2) by the time the county painted over the Confederate flag on our gym floor, the county was somewhat embarrassed to have named a school after him.

I'll always have attended JEB Stuart HS, but future students deserve better.

Our country is no longer in anyway embarrassed to have named a school after him. There are people fighting tooth and nail to keep the name. Things have definitely changed since I went to school, and not for the better. No matter what the name change, this process will be a loss in my eyes because it opened them to the biogotry that now permeates the community in which my impressionable kids are growing up. We will all retreat into our smaller communities of people from our own ethnic backgrounds, with no empathy for what others have experienced. Not the America I envisioned 20 years ago, but such is life.

I've seen white, black, Hispanic and Muslim kids all express their desire to change this school's name, so I don't think changing the name to honor something or someone other than a Confederate general will send members of the community running off into silos.

It has been eye-opening, however, to see so many older white people resist change, as if their entire identities were wrapped up in maintaining the name of a school that originally was named with no community participation at all. Sad.

[Anonymous]

The name Munson Hill HS was dropped in favor of JEB Stuart HS to intimidate black kids and to try to keep them from attending the school when Brown v Board of Education was decided. The name was chosen as a part of the massive resistance movement to tell black kids they were not welcome. Not even in the back of the class.

No. This is the myth that has been put forward by the people who wanted to change. You may not like the name, but it is wrong to credit people with a lie.

If you read the minutes from those meetings, Stuart was named at the same time as Lee. There were arguments between Franconia and Springfield over the name of the school that is now Lee. So, they passed a policy that said that schools would be named after people. The youth from the different areas were territorial. (Read Colbert King's article today in WAPO about gangs. This was probably around the same time -he talks about the gang territories in DC)

Munson Hill was the name that was mentioned during the construction of Stuart because of the location--just as Westfield was called West County during the construction and South County was called South County. My guess is that the South county people chose that name because they could not agree on anotherne--or no one wanted to call it Lorton. Since the SB made the policy to name schools after people, they chose Jeb Stuart because he had a camp at Munson Hill.

You can dislike the name all you want. But, please do not make up stories when the correct rationale is documented. This is a myth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The name Munson Hill HS was dropped in favor of JEB Stuart HS to intimidate black kids and to try to keep them from attending the school when Brown v Board of Education was decided. The name was chosen as a part of the massive resistance movement to tell black kids they were not welcome. Not even in the back of the class.

No. This is the myth that has been put forward by the people who wanted to change. You may not like the name, but it is wrong to credit people with a lie.

If you read the minutes from those meetings, Stuart was named at the same time as Lee. There were arguments between Franconia and Springfield over the name of the school that is now Lee. So, they passed a policy that said that schools would be named after people. The youth from the different areas were territorial. (Read Colbert King's article today in WAPO about gangs. This was probably around the same time -he talks about the gang territories in DC)

Munson Hill was the name that was mentioned during the construction of Stuart because of the location--just as Westfield was called West County during the construction and South County was called South County. My guess is that the South county people chose that name because they could not agree on anotherne--or no one wanted to call it Lorton. Since the SB made the policy to name schools after people, they chose Jeb Stuart because he had a camp at Munson Hill.

You can dislike the name all you want. But, please do not make up stories when the correct rationale is documented. This is a myth.

Um. I really wouldn't take the minutes at their word. I've been in these meetings before and there is A LOT that is said/decided before the meeting starts. Plenty that no one wants on record. Stop being naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to JEB Stuart and can definitely say that (1) most people were aware he was a Confederate general, and (2) by the time the county painted over the Confederate flag on our gym floor, the county was somewhat embarrassed to have named a school after him.

I'll always have attended JEB Stuart HS, but future students deserve better.

Our country is no longer in anyway embarrassed to have named a school after him. There are people fighting tooth and nail to keep the name. Things have definitely changed since I went to school, and not for the better. No matter what the name change, this process will be a loss in my eyes because it opened them to the biogotry that now permeates the community in which my impressionable kids are growing up. We will all retreat into our smaller communities of people from our own ethnic backgrounds, with no empathy for what others have experienced. Not the America I envisioned 20 years ago, but such is life.

Yup. Pretty sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But why were the white supremacist groups in Charlottesville in the first place? Because Charlottesville recently change the name of "Lee" park to Emancipation Park... Why not Charlottesville Park, or a name of a local community leader, or notable former Charlottesville resident? Why Emancipation Park?

Do you actually believe for one second that the local Charlottesville community people "chose" the name Emancipation Park??? No they did not, the name was forced upon them just like what is happening now in the "Stuart" community. This is a little known fact that was hardly publicized, Charlottesville was not only about the statue removal.

I do NOT support ANY of the violence that occurred in Charlottesville, by any group. And what that idiot did with running the car into people was horrendous, I hope he get's life in prison or worse for what he did. But this is what this issue is coming to.

ALL those groups were in Charlottesville because of the NAACP agenda, to rewrite history and erase the truth.

Slavery is an unfortunate chapter in American history, but it did happen, we can't ignore it, we must learn from it.

For the "actual" Stuart community members that voted to change the name, I have no quarrel with them, this is America, they are allowed to express their views and vote in any way that they see fit.

But for the NAACP and people that are trying to force their will upon communities all over America, this has to stop, it is not "American".

NP to this thread, but I have to wonder why anyone would be bothered by the name "Emancipation Park?" It seems to me that Emancipation is something that should be celebrated, certainly more than celebrating an individual who fought against it, no? Why is this even controversial, or more controversial than simply renaming the park to something other than Lee?

+10000

WTF is wrong with Emancipation Park?

Ugh. This all makes me regret moving to the south. I really didn't expect so much open racism right here, right now in 2017. Very disappointing.

I'd still like to hear what is wrong with "Emancipation Park".

Did we ever get an answer on this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You people are still missing the point, and going all over the map on this one simple issue. Many local people are not upset about getting rid of the name J.E.B. Stuart, they are mainly upset about 4 things:

a. The NAACP stuck their nose in a “local” issue, with less than a 10% African American student body.

b. They coerced and corrupted the School Board to put forth their own agenda, to change the name of a school from a white person to a black person.

c. If the name has to be changed, why does it have to be changed to a black person?

d. If they name were changed to something less controversial, nobody would care and there would be no issue at all (except for the NAACP of course).

This is happening all across America, it is costing taxpayers billions of dollars and people are now dying as a result of this misplaced agenda.

And once again, the NAACP has divided a once peaceful and serene community to put forth their own agenda.

It is time to stop dividing America with this nonsense about names and focus on more important things.

That other person was right, look to the future, not the past...

You are blaming the national divide on NAACP? WTF? There wouldn't be a divide if we all pushed for equal rights and equality. And if we could all let go of painful reminders of our racist past/present. Why are YOU choosing to be against the NAACP and/or any other group promoting civil rights and equality? YOU are choosing to make another side, to create this divide. YOU are the problem.

Also, how exactly is changing the name to a black person "controversial"?

Or an answer to this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You people are still missing the point, and going all over the map on this one simple issue. Many local people are not upset about getting rid of the name J.E.B. Stuart, they are mainly upset about 4 things:

a. The NAACP stuck their nose in a “local” issue, with less than a 10% African American student body.

b. They coerced and corrupted the School Board to put forth their own agenda, to change the name of a school from a white person to a black person.

c. If the name has to be changed, why does it have to be changed to a black person?

d. If they name were changed to something less controversial, nobody would care and there would be no issue at all (except for the NAACP of course).

This is happening all across America, it is costing taxpayers billions of dollars and people are now dying as a result of this misplaced agenda.

And once again, the NAACP has divided a once peaceful and serene community to put forth their own agenda.

It is time to stop dividing America with this nonsense about names and focus on more important things.

That other person was right, look to the future, not the past...

You are blaming the national divide on NAACP? WTF? There wouldn't be a divide if we all pushed for equal rights and equality. And if we could all let go of painful reminders of our racist past/present. Why are YOU choosing to be against the NAACP and/or any other group promoting civil rights and equality? YOU are choosing to make another side, to create this divide. YOU are the problem.

Also, how exactly is changing the name to a black person "controversial"?

Or an answer to this?

I imagine the person that wrote that was trying to stir things up. There is no answer for that.
Who knows who wrote it.