Out in Dallas, 61 percent of the kids at John B. Hood Middle School voted in favor of replacing the school’s name. The school’s namesake was a general in the Confederate Army and, according to scholars, was one of the best soldiers the short-lived country had. A middle school is, well, child’s play for him when it comes to namesakes: One of the world’s largest military bases, Fort Hood, is named after him. It seems that despite the high-profile recognition elsewhere, the majority of the students at John B. Hood Middle School would rather not attend a school that honors a Confederate general. But even though the kids have spoken, the final say goes to DISD’s Board of Trustees in March.
Last summer’s church shooting in Charleston awakened something that had been largely dormant in the United States. Across America, mostly concentrated below the Mason-Dixon line, a fair amount of nostalgia, and honor for the Confederacy is on full display. And now, more and more frequently, we’re beginning to ask the question that has no doubt been plaguing long-stifled voices for years: Should we proudly recognize the Confederate States of America and Confederate loyalists? UT-Austin tore down a statue of Jefferson Davis and threw it in a museum. Houston ISD is going to change the name of seven schools—Johnston Middle School, Lanier Middle School, Davis High School, Grady Middle School, Dowling Middle School, Stonewall Middle School, Lee High School—because they are named after Confederate loyalists and soldiers. Last year, Austin’s school board changed its policy on renaming property that has “special historical or geographical significance,” because it has its sights on renaming schools that pay homage to Confederate soldiers. This has, of course, sparked some debate.
Honoring fallen soldiers is about as American as apple pie and movies with explosions. Some of the men who fought in the Civil War for the Confederacy were just soldiers, who may or may not have actually been fighting for something they explicitly believed in. That’s just a part of being a soldier sometimes. But, the moral quandary still remains, should we honor treasonous men who fought to uphold the white supremacist institution of African slavery?
Washing away the sins of America isn’t productive. We have to stare said sins in the face in order to get anywhere close to overcoming them. Racism, slavery, segregation, redlining, and police brutality are among a laundry list of injustices black people in America have had to face. But they are too often given the same amount of care and attention as a sore thumb. Not forcing black kids to go to schools named in honor of a Confederate could be a positive step forward.
But just erasing a dark era completely isn’t the answer. A solution that’s been suggested is giving these schools a historical marker that explains the men’s lives in context. And, hey, teaching the Civil War accurately and not obfuscating the causes of secession and the war is a novel idea.
Changing a school’s name is also a costly endeavor. Frankly, students are better served if financial resources are used on academics that champion history curriculum and teachers that are intellectually honest about slavery, so deliberate renderings of an alternate history that simply honor brave men who just fought for the rights of states don’t exist.
There’s no easy solution here. On the one hand, getting rid of a school name like John B. Hood would be a great symbolic gesture that shows that we’re getting ready to move toward being honest about the Civil War. On the other hand, true honesty would involve being forthright about what the men represent. But, if Independent School Districts are going to get rid of schools named after Confederates, they have a lot of work to do. As much as we could confirm, here is every school that honors the namesake of a Confederate loyalist, along with a breakdown of their demographics by ethnicity:
A. C. Jones High School, Beeville:
Black: 1.7%
American Indian: 0.2%
Asian: 0.8%
Hispanic: 81.8%
Pacific Islander: 0.1%
White: 14.7%
Two or more races: 0.7%
Barksdale Elementary, Plano:
Black: 10.4%
American Indian: 0.2%
Asian: 22.6%
Hispanic: 16.1%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 46.2%
Two or more races: 4.6%
Calhoun High School, Port Lavaca:
Black: 2.9%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 5.1%
Hispanic: 60.1%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 30.7%
Two or more races: 0.9%
Davis High School, Houston:
Black: 12.2%
American Indian: 0.1%
Asian: 0.2%
Hispanic: 86.3%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 1.1%
Two or more races: 0.2%
Fort Davis High School, Fort Davis:
Black: N/A
American Indian: N/A
Asian: N/A
Hispanic: 58.5%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 40.6%
Two or more races: 0.9%
S.J. Davis Middle School, San Antonio:
Black: 33.6%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: 0.7%
Hispanic: 60.9%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 2.8%
Two or more races: 2.0%
Dowling Elementary, Odessa:
Black: 5.9%
American Indian: 0.1%
Asian: 0.4%
Hispanic: 78.1%
Pacific Islander: 0.7%
White: 13.8%
Two or more races: 1.0%
Dowling Elementary, Port Arthur
Black: 45.5%
American Indian: 2.6%
Asian: 1.2%
Hispanic: 39.4%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 11.3%
Two or more races: N/A
Dowling Middle School, Houston:
Black: 36.6%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 0.8%
Hispanic: 60.8%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 1.1%
Two or more races: 0.4%
Grady Middle School, Houston:
Black: 15.8%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: 9.4%
Hispanic: 43.7%
Pacific Islander: 0.3%
White: 29.3%
Two or more races: 1.6%
John B Hood Middle School, Dallas:
Black: 15.4%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 0.1%
Hispanic: 83.2%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 1.0%
Two or more races: N/A
Stonewall Jackson Elementary School, Dallas
Black: 50.6%
American Indian: 0.2%
Asian: N/A
Hispanic: 47.6%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 1.0%
Two or more races: 0.6%
Johnston Middle School, Houston:
Black: 33.4%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 3.0%
Hispanic: 49.1%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 12.7%
Two or more races: 1.6%
Johnston Elementary, Abilene:
Black: 10.4%
American Indian: 0.2%
Asian: N/A
Hispanic: 49.2%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 34.5%
Two or more races: 5.8%
Lanier Middle School, Houston:
Black: 9.3%
American Indian: 0.4%
Asian: 14.3%
Hispanic: 36.6%
Pacific Islander: 0.1%
White: 35.3%
Two or more races: 4.0%
Lanier High School, San Antonio:
Black: 1.3%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 0.3%
Hispanic: 96.9%
Pacific Islander: 0.1%
White: 1.0%
Two or more races: 0.2%
Sidney Lanier Expressive Arts Vanguard, Dallas:
Black: 16.9%
American Indian: 0.2%
Asian: 0.3%
Hispanic: 79.7%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 2.6%
Two or more races: 0.3%
Lee High School, Houston:
Black: 14.8%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 6.2%
Hispanic: 73.7%
Pacific Islander: 0.5%
White: 4.2%
Two or more races: 0.3%
Lee Elementary, Abilene:
Black: 26.4%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: 0.5%
Hispanic: 37.2%
Pacific Islander: 0.2%
White: 32.1%
Two or more races: 3.6%
Lee Elementary, Amarillo:
Black: 27.4%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: 0.8%
Hispanic: 62.8%
Pacific Islander: 0.5%
White: 6.3%
Two or more races: 2.3%
Lee Elementary, Port Arthur:
Black: 13.4%
American Indian: 3.8%
Asian: 9.7%
Hispanic: 72.4%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 0.4%
Two or more races: 0.4%
Lee Elementary, Grand Prairie:
Black: 11.5%
American Indian: 0.5%
Asian: 0.5%
Hispanic: 80.5%
Pacific Islander: 0.3%
White: 6.1%
Two or more races: 0.5%
Lee Elementary, Edinburg:
Black: 1.0%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: 0.6%
Hispanic: 96.9%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 1.4%
Two or more races: N/A
Lee Elementary, Denton:
Black: 10.0%
American Indian: 2.4%
Asian: 0.8%
Hispanic: 54.4%
Pacific Islander: 0.2%
White: 30.4%
Two or more races: 1.8%
Lee Elementary, Austin:
Black: 4.9%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: 3.4%
Hispanic: 24.5%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 61.9%
Two or more races: 5.4%
Lee Elementary, El Paso:
Black: 3.1%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: 0.3%
Hispanic: 93.2%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 2.8%
Two or more races: 0.6%
Robert E Lee Elementary School, Eagle Pass:
Black: 0.2%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: N/A
Hispanic: 99.3%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 0.5%
Two or more races: N/A
Robert E Lee Elementary School, Dallas:
Black: 9.4%
American Indian: 0.9%
Asian: 1.7%
Hispanic: 68.9%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 18.2%
Two or more races: 0.9%
Robert E Lee Elementary School, Marshall:
Black: 31.1%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 0.3%
Hispanic: 38.2%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 24.6%
Two or more races: 5.5%
Robert E Lee Intermediate School, Gainesville:
Black: 7.8%
American Indian: 0.9%
Asian: 0.4%
Hispanic: 56.8%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 29.6%
Two or more races: 4.5%
Lee Middle School, San Angelo:
Black: 4.5%
American Indian: 0.4%
Asian: 0.5%
Hispanic: 57.9%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 34.6%
Two or more races: 2.1%
Lee Freshman High School, Midland:
Black: 8.5%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: 2.1%
Hispanic: 59.8%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 28.3%
Two or more races: 1.3%
Robert E Lee High School, Tyler:
Black: 26.0%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 2.8%
Hispanic: 29.6%
Pacific Islander: 0.1%
White: 39.6%
Two or more races: 1.6%
Lee High School, Baytown
Black: 13.8%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 0.6%
Hispanic: 71.3%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 12.5%
Two or more races: 1.4%
Lee High School, Houston:
Black: 14.8%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 6.2%
Hispanic: 73.7%
Pacific Islander: 0.5%
White: 4.2%
Two or more races: 0.3%
Lee High School, San Antonio:
Black: 4.0%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 1.1%
Hispanic: 79.8%
Pacific Islander: 0.2%
White: 13.1%
Two or more races: 1.6%
Lee High School, Midland:
Black: 8.1%
American Indian: 0.5%
Asian: 2.9%
Hispanic: 57.4%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 30.0%
Two or more races: 1.0%
Robert E Lee High School, Robert Lee:
Black: N/A
American Indian: N/A
Asian: N/A
Hispanic: 31.5%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 67.6%
Two or more races: 0.9%
John H. Reagan Elementary, Dallas:
Black: 0.5%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: N/A
Hispanic: 98.9%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 0.5%
Two or more races: N/A
Reagan Elementary, San Angelo:
Black: 3.9%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: N/A
Hispanic: 84.6%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 10.9%
Two or more races: 0.6%
Reagan Elementary, Abilene:
Black: 17.2%
American Indian: N/A
Asian: 0.8%
Hispanic: 49.5%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 27.7%
Two or more races: 4.8%
John H. Reagan High School, Houston:
Black: 11.3%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 0.5%
Hispanic: 82.8%
Pacific Islander: 0.1%
White: 4.5%
Two or more races: 0.4%
John H. Reagan High School, Austin:
Black: 19.4%
American Indian: 0.1%
Asian: 2.4%
Hispanic: 74.9%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 2.8%
Two or more races: 0.5%
Reagan County Elementary, Big Lake:
Black: 1.3%
American Indian: 0.4%
Asian: 0.2%
Hispanic: 80.8%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 16.7%
Two or more races: 0.4%
Reagan County Middle, Big Lake:
Black: 1.3%
American Indian: 0.4%
Asian: 0.2%
Hispanic: 80.8%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 16.7%
Two or more races: 0.4%
Reagan County High, Big Lake:
Black: 1.3%
American Indian: 0.4%
Asian: 0.2%
Hispanic: 80.8%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 16.7%
Two or more races: 0.4%
Stonewall Jackson Elementary, Abilene:
Black: 7.3%
American Indian: 0.9%
Asian: 4.9%
Hispanic: 30.8%
Pacific Islander: 0.2%
White: 50.0%
Two or more races: 5.9%
Stonewall Elementary, Stonewall:
Black: N/A
American Indian: 0.9%
Asian: N/A
Hispanic: 22.6%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 76.4%
Two or more races: N/A
Stonewall Elementary School, Dallas:
Black: 8.4%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 4.1%
Hispanic: 26.1%
Pacific Islander: N/A
White: 56.3%
Two or more races: 4.7%
BF Terry High School, Rosenberg:
Black: 12.5%
American Indian: 0.2%
Asian: 0.5%
Hispanic: 73.4%
Pacific Islander: 0.2%
White: 12.4%
Two or more races: 0.8%
