Last night, the decades-long fight for equity and inclusivity, led by the Hanover County NAACP, has finally begun to be realized in Hanover County Public Schools.

The Hanover County School Board took an important step by voting to change the names of Stonewall Jackson Middle School and Lee Davis High School.

“Black students in Hanover County have endured a hostile school environment that derives directly from the naming of the schools after Confederate generals and the celebration of the Confederacy and its defense of slavery. With today’s name change, the Hanover County School Board has taken an important step toward providing an equal education for all students.” – Kaitlin Banner, Deputy Legal Director

In August 2019, the Committee filed suit to challenge Hanover County’s schools names that were chosen only after the Court ordered the school district to desegregate. Despite the case dismissal, we have continued to fight to change the names that have been a symbol to Black students and families that they were not welcome in Hanover for the past sixty years.

Last night’s vote to change the names rights this long-standing wrong against Black families in Hanover County. It is our hope that this monumental victory is embraced by the entire community with open arms as Hanover County continues this process of reconciliation and healing.

Education equity is one of the core tenets of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee from its founding more than 50 years ago. Our vision of a more just society includes a country where every student receives a quality education in an environment that embraces the richness that diverse families bring to the experience. Please consider a gift today to support the vision that we work so hard to achieve.