SPLC: Community Activists Force Reckoning with Racist Public School Names in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Last night, the Duval County School Board voted in favor of changing the names of six public schools named after Confederate leaders. Their decision follows the will of the community, which chose to remove racist names in early May.

The following statement is from SPLC Chief of Staff Lecia Brooks:

“The SPLC applauds the Duval County School Board for voting in alignment with Jacksonville stakeholders, who elected to change the names of six schools glorifying Confederate leaders.

“The SPLC also congratulates all of the activists involved, including the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville and Take Em Down Jax, for their unwavering efforts to remove symbols of hate not only in the form of school names, but also from public property. It is their persistence that allows Jacksonville to join 36 other public schools across the U.S. that have already committed to removing the names of racist Confederate leaders from their buildings for the 2021-22 school year.

“All students should be able to have a sense of pride in their school. We are pleased that the Duval County school board opted to honor the community’s wishes and place the needs and sensibilities of Jacksonville students first.”