SPLC to Duval County School Board: Follow the Community’s Lead

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Recently, the Duval County Public Schools’ Renaming Canvassing Board counted all votes. The results confirm that the Jacksonville community is ready to leave the Confederacy behind by renaming all of schools glorifying Confederate leaders.

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

“Now that the votes have been counted, the will of the community must be respected.

“No Jacksonville student should be forced to align with institutions named after men who fought to keep Black people enslaved, uneducated and dehumanized.

“It is now up to the Duval County School Board, who will vote on June 1, to allow Jacksonville to move toward the right side of history. We join our Jacksonville allies in urging their school board members to accept the new names chosen by the community so that students can begin to foster a sense of local and cultural pride in their schools.”