HAMPTON, Va. — The Hampton Branch of NAACP is reacting after the Shenandoah County School board voted to restore the original names of two schools to honor Confederate leaders on Friday.
"I'm upset, but I'm not surprised," said Gaylene Kanoyton, the president of the Hampton Branch of the NAACP.
Four years ago, a different group of school board members voted to change Stonewall Jackson High School to Mountain View High School, and Ashby Lee Elementary School to Honey Run Elementary School. In a five-to-one vote, the current school board voted to reverse that vote.
However, before the vote, some community members voiced their concerns.
"Here we are once again bringing Shenandoah County into the international spotlight," said one person who attended the meeting.
Another attendee said, "I implore you to please do the right thing, keep the current names, and move forward with grace and dignity."
In April, the Coalition for Better Schools sent a letter to the board requesting school board members to restore the schools' original names.
In the letter, the group indicated that it surveyed several districts, and the results showed overwhelming support for the board to restore the original names of the schools, according to the group.
"This is a conservative right-wing initiative, and it's part of the Make America Great Again movement, and once you let this board get away with it, allows other boards to do the same thing," said Kanoyton.
Kanoyton released a statement following the vote.
"In 2017, the Hampton NAACP, alongside other advocates, successfully campaigned for the renaming of two Confederate-named schools. Following public demand, the Hampton City School Board took decisive action in 2018, renaming two schools, and in 2021, they further renamed five Confederate-named schools. Renaming schools is often a crucial step towards fostering inclusivity and reflecting evolving societal values.
It is profoundly alarming and utterly unacceptable that the Shenandoah County School Board has now chosen to reinstate Confederate names after previously voting for their removal.
This decision is particularly abhorrent given the current social climate, marked by ongoing racial injustices exemplified by the murder of George Floyd four years ago, with the upcoming fourth commemoration of his death on May 25th. Such actions only perpetuate racism and bigotry, both in Virginia and across the nation. Is this a resurgence of Jim Crow-era policies in the 21st century?
We stand resolute in our commitment to combatting systemic racism and will vigorously advocate for inclusivity and equality in all facets of society. It is imperative that we remain steadfast and unwavering in our efforts to create a more just and equitable future for all."
Since it's an election year, Kanoyton urges people to get out and vote.
"This is Jim Crow 2.0! But guess what? We're not going to back down on this one. And the most important thing is that we're going to make sure that we register people and that we turn out to vote," said Kanoyton.
13News Now reached out to the chairman of the Shenandoah School Board for comment but has not yet received a response.