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Community split at WJCC meeting over renaming James Blair Middle School
Summary
Members of the public both urged the school board to remove James Blair’s name from a middle school because of his ties to slavery and urged officials to preserve the name and spend funds on classroom needs. Speakers cited cost estimates and the need to prioritize reading and teacher support; no formal board action was taken at the meeting.
Residents and community advocates used the school board’s public comment period to press opposing views on whether James Blair Middle School should be renamed.
Some speakers, including Jackie Bridgeforth Williams, executive director of The Village Initiative, urged the board to remove the name because Blair enslaved people and other community landmarks honor that legacy. “If [Martin Luther King Jr.] cannot be on our schools, then a slaver should not be on our schools,”…
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