Both the Hampton Branch NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference have made formal requests to rename Davis Middle School and the Campus at Lee.
The requests come after white nationalists and counterprotesters clashed in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, igniting a national conversation about Confederate monuments.
Davis is named after Jefferson Davis, and Lee after Robert E. Lee, both Confederate leaders during the Civil War. The NAACP raised concerns about the names, based in part on wording in the policy to name or rename schools, which states that elementary and middle schools “will be named in honor of persons who have rendered outstanding service to mankind in their community, state and/or country.”
In its formal request emailed to School Board Chairman Jason Samuels Friday morning, the Hampton NAACP said that the names of the school were not in line with the policy.
“The city of Hampton is over 50% African American and to have students attend schools with Confederate Names that represent the Dark days in our history is repulsive,” wrote branch President Gaylene Kanoyton. “Jefferson Davis & Robert E. Lee were leaders in the Confederate movement during the Civil War & championed slavery. … I’m sure you can agree that Jefferson Davis & Robert E. Lee didn’t rendered (sic) outstanding service to mankind in their community, state & or country.”
Andrew Shannon, president of the Peninsula chapter of the SCLC, also emailed a formal request on behalf of the organization on Friday.
School Board policy lays out how a school can be renamed, which says that the board can create a committee to “review submissions and make a recommendation to the Board.” The board can rename a school “upon a determination that it is appropriate to do so.” Suggestions must be made in writing and include a reason as to why the name should be changed.
Samuels said Tuesday that the board will follow the procedure laid out in policy.
“It’s my understanding that we have several groups coming to the (next School Board meeting Sept. 6), and we will listen to the individuals and then follow the policy,” Samuels said.
The policy was first made in 1967, and then later revised in 1980. In 2015, language was added to clarify that the policy for naming a school be the same as when renaming one. Last year, the policy was renamed from “Naming New Facilities” to “Naming New Facilities or Renaming Existing Facilities” to clarify after the issue came up last spring.
In March, a request was made by the Peninsula chapter of the SCLC to consider changing the names of Davis and Lee. After two public hearings on the matter, the board unanimously voted against renaming the schools. Between the hearings, 10 people spoke in favor of renaming the schools, and 31 were against.
Both schools were first opened before the naming policy was created in 1967. Davis opened as Jefferson Davis Junior High School for the 1960-61 school year, and was later renamed Jefferson Davis Middle School when the middle school concept was adopted by the school division in 1985.
Lee first opened as Robert E. Lee Elementary School in 1965 and was closed in 2010 when two preK-8 schools opened. It was then reopened as the Campus at Lee for the 2012-13 school year, housing several alternative education programs such as Bridgeport Academy and the Performance Learning Center.
After the SCLC submitted its request to rename Davis and Lee, it also sent a request to Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck and other members of the City Council to rename Magruder Boulevard, which is named after John Bankhead Magruder, a Confederate general who participated in the Peninsula campaign of the Civil War.
Shannon’s letter included a request for City Council to impanel a committee of stakeholders, including a member of the SCLC, to review submissions for a potential renaming.
Tuck responded Monday night, saying that the city manager and city attorney have been asked to research the naming of Magruder Boulevard as well as policy pertaining to renaming of streets.
“While we appreciate your offer of assistance with respect to participating on a panel to review submissions and recommendations of street names, there are a number of aspects of this matter to consider and discuss before we reach that stage,” Tuck wrote.
Shannon also requested on Saturday that Newport News City Council remove the Confederate Soldier Monument from where it currently stands on the grounds of the old Warwick County Courthouse.
Spokeswomen for the cities of Hampton and Newport News were each unable Tuesday to provide a copy of policies regarding requests to rename streets or remove monuments. According to Virginia law, localities may erect monuments, but are not allowed to “disturb or interfere with any monuments or memorials so erected.”
Hammond can be reached by phone at 757-247-4951 or on Twitter @byjanehammond.
