San Francisco school board president calls for the renaming of schools tied to slavery

In September 2016, San Francisco school board president Matt Haney proposed renaming schools tied to slavery, including schools named after George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. He suggested new names that honored people such as San Francisco native Maya Angelou, the poet and author. For many people who had watched Confederate names come down across the South, it was the clearest sign yet that the push to rename would not stop with the Confederacy.

From Confederate Generals to the Founding Fathers

When the debate over Confederate monuments began, many heritage supporters warned that it would not end there. If owning slaves was enough to remove a name, they said, then Washington, Jefferson, Madison and many other Founders would be next. Critics called that an exaggeration. San Francisco proved it was not.

What Happened Next

The idea did not go away. In January 2021, the San Francisco school board voted to rename 44 schools. The list included schools named for Washington, Jefferson and even Abraham Lincoln, as well as Paul Revere and the city’s own Senator Dianne Feinstein.

The backlash was swift and came from across the country, including from many San Francisco parents. Critics pointed out errors in the board’s research and asked why the board was focused on names while schools were still closed during the pandemic. After a lawsuit, the board rescinded the vote in April 2021. In February 2022, San Francisco voters recalled three board members by wide margins.

Why It Matters

The San Francisco story shows why so many people care about keeping historic names and monuments. History is complicated, and the men and women who shaped it were not perfect. Judging every figure of the past by today’s standards leaves very few names standing. Read more in our post on what Confederate monuments really stand for.

Honor American and Southern history with a flag from our Confederate flag collection.

Source: Los Angeles Times: San Francisco school board president calls for the renaming of schools tied to slavery

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