Post by M. Hawbaker on Dec 9, 2020 23:42:13 GMT
A Virginia public school will no longer bear the name of Thomas Jefferson after the school board voted unanimously Tuesday to rename it following a six-month study.
The vote by the Falls Church School Board means Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and George Mason High School will be renamed, largely due to the fact the two men owned slaves.
Jefferson called slavery a “moral depravity” and a “hideous blot” but still owned slaves at his Monticello home. Mason, too, owned slaves, although he called the slave trade “disgraceful to mankind” and said it should not be protected in the U.S. Constitution.
“The Board took seriously the viewpoints and concerns raised by many students, parents, staff, and community members,” said school board chair Greg Anderson. “We thank everyone who shared their perspectives with us and will be mindful of your comments as we now begin selecting names that reflect the diversity of opinions in our community. Our schools must be places where all students, staff, and community members feel safe, supported, and inspired.”
Still, most Americans remember Jefferson and Mason for their accomplishments in founding the nation. Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and was the third president, while Mason was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and a chief sponsor of the Bill of Rights.
Jefferson called slavery a “moral depravity” and a “hideous blot” but still owned slaves at his Monticello home. Mason, too, owned slaves, although he called the slave trade “disgraceful to mankind” and said it should not be protected in the U.S. Constitution.
“The Board took seriously the viewpoints and concerns raised by many students, parents, staff, and community members,” said school board chair Greg Anderson. “We thank everyone who shared their perspectives with us and will be mindful of your comments as we now begin selecting names that reflect the diversity of opinions in our community. Our schools must be places where all students, staff, and community members feel safe, supported, and inspired.”
Still, most Americans remember Jefferson and Mason for their accomplishments in founding the nation. Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and was the third president, while Mason was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and a chief sponsor of the Bill of Rights.
I didn't respond to any of them, I just kept hiding their posts so they won't come back up on my timeline. And then I come over here to chill to find a group of really ignorant people, who sound a lot like my cousins, at work changing school names so their children will feel "safe". I should look at a map & see how close Falls Church, VA is to central WV, where those cousins live. 