School Board To Rename Lee High School For John Lewis

SPRINGFIELD, VA — Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield has a new name after a unanimous Fairfax County School Board vote Thursday. The school has been named for John Lewis, the late congressman and civil rights leader. The new name will go into effect for the 2020-2021 school year.

"It was important for us to be mindful of these comments and to select a name that reflected the diversity and multiculturalism that currently exists at the school and in our community," said School Board Chair Ricardy Anderson. "Rep. Lewis was a champion of the Civil Rights movement, and our Board strongly believes this is an appropriate tribute to an individual who is a true American hero. We will also honor his life’s work by continuing to promote equity, justice, tolerance and service in the work that we do."

The school board voted to move forward with a renaming process in February. A March 11 community meeting drew mixed reactions on renaming Lee High School. While some believed the Confederate Lee's name should be removed, opposed residents cited costs and whether other aspects of the school should be focuses for improvement.

The process resumed in June after a delay from the pandemic. The board formally voted on June 23 to remove the Robert E. Lee name from the school. A one-month public comment period on potential names followed with a virtual town hall on July 15 and public hearing on July 22. Superintendent Scott Brabrand's name recommendations were John Lewis; Barack Obama; Mildred Loving; Cesar Chavez; Legacy; and Central Springfield.

Lewis died on July 17 after battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer. One of the "Big Six" leaders of the 1960s civil rights movement, he was the youngest keynote speaker at the 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. He also led the Selma to Montgomery march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 to demand voting rights for African Americans. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986 and served Georgia's 5th congressional district until his death.