Officials with Fairfax County Public Schools unanimously voted in favor of changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, Virginia, to John R. Lewis High School. The name change honors the Georgia congressman and civil rights activist.
WJLA reported the vote happened around 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
“Last night we heard from so many community members, students, and alumni about the amazing things that John Lewis did during his life,” School Board Member Tamara Derenak Kaufax said. “And I think many people would be proud to have that as the name of their school. I think it would be an honor for the community as well as I hope, the congressman’s family.”
Lewis died of at age 80 of pancreatic cancer. At 25, he was among the protesters marching for voting rights who were brutally beaten by 150 Alabama state troopers on “Bloody Sunday.”
Even after then, Lewis continued to nonviolently protest and demonstrate for voting rights for Black people, going on to become an Atlanta city councilman and a congressman. Since his death, there have been increased calls to rename the “Bloody Sunday” bridge after him.
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“The name Robert E. Lee is forever connected to the Confederacy, and Confederate values are ones that do not align with our community,” Kaufax said in a statement. “Our schools must be places where all students, staff, and members of the community feel safe and supported. I believe that John Lewis’ extraordinary life and advocacy for racial justice will serve as an inspiration to our students and community for generations to come.”
A Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson confirmed a portrait of Lee has been removed from the school lobby. In addition, WJLA reported Lee’s name has already been removed from signs.
The new school name will be effective for the 2020-21 school year.
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