CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than 3,700 people have signed an online petition asking for Stonewall Jackson Middle School to be renamed ahead of a march planned for this weekend.
The request to change the former Stonewall Jackson High School was the focus of a meeting Monday evening on the city’s West Side in addition to a march scheduled for Saturday as groups nationwide push for re-evaluating buildings and facilities named after Confederate leaders.
Stonewall Jackson Middle School opened in 1940 and is named after the Confederate general born in Clarksburg. The petition is addressed the city of Charleston, Kanawha County Schools and Gov. Jim Justice, and requests the school be renamed to honor Katherine Johnson, a black NASA mathematician whose research led to the first American orbit of Earth.
Lamar Beatty, an elder at Abundant Life Ministries spoke about the possible name change and the march during Monday’s Charleston City Council meeting. Bishop Wayne Crozier, the founding pastor of Abundant Life Ministries, was among those attending a meeting at A More Excellent Way Life Center Church about a possible name change.
“We’ve reached out to all the pastors to get their input,” Beatty said. “We’ve also talked to some alumni of the school, some teachers of the school, some of the coaches, and we’ve gotten some very positive feedback from all of these individuals and all of these stakeholders at the school.”
Beatty noted he wanted Saturday’s demonstration to be peaceful, adding movement leaders have talked to the Charleston Police Department about ensuring safety.
“We understand the concerns, but we also want to make sure that you understand our concerns in the African American community,” he said.
The march will go from Abundant Life Ministries to the Kanawha County Board of Education building, a one-mile route.