PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Manor High School in Portsmouth is going to dedicate a monument honoring the Class of 1973, the first graduating class of the school representing diverse communities.
The school opened in 1972 and was named for the mostly black Cavalier Manor community, and the predominantly white community known as Hodges Manor, according to the school's website.
"At the time this combination reflected the most diverse public learning environment in Portsmouth," the school wrote on its website.
During a consolidation of two high schools in 1993, the Portsmouth School Board voted to change the name of the school to Woodrow Wilson High School "against the wishes of many, and without fair representation of Manor Alum."
From 2018 to 2020, Manor High School Alumni Association worked to get rid of Woodrow Wilson's name in the school. In December 2020, the Portsmouth School Board voted to restore the school's name to Manor High, effective July 1, 2021.
The Class of '73 will celebrate its 50th reunion from August 18 to 20 with different events. The monument dedication will take place at the school Saturday at 11 a.m.
For more information about the 50th reunion, visit the Manor High School Alumni Association's website.