New Name for Fairfax County High School!
November 16, 2017
On October 26th, a board meeting took place where it was discussed whether or not the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School should be changed. The board meeting lasted for many hours. What sparked the debate of changing the school’s name from J.E.B Stuart was that the name ties to a Virginian Confederate general who fought on behalf of the South during the Civil War. The topic was debated and voted on. The school was renamed Justice High School as a result of the 7-4 vote majority for the name to be changed. The board settled on the name Justice, because it embodied what people fought for. Some board members such as Elizabeth Schultz disagreed with the name “Justice” because she said it’s “a random word in the English dictionary.” Regardless, the school’s name was changed to Justice. Some members of the community stood together and wore shirts that said “Change the Name”. Others raised signs that represented the board member whose views they agreed with.
There were other names that were debated on. Some include Thurgood Marshall, Mendez and Barbara Rose Johns. Sandy Evans, another school board member, shared, “We are doing the right thing by changing the name to one that reflects and celebrates values we hold dear.” Karen Keys-Gammata said, “It is a compromise that encompasses many viewpoint and emphasizes, not the missteps of our past, but on the power and hope of our future”.
