San Francisco Board suspends renaming schools in Washington, Lincoln and Feinstein
The San Francisco school board voted Tuesday to suspend the controversial process of naming 44 urban and historic names – including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and a U.S. senator. California, Dianne Feinstein.
The actions of the school board have attracted national attention in January when they resumed the process of renaming 44 selected schools with historical statistics “significantly reduced the chances of those among us in the right to life, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness,” according to a resolution adopted by the San Francisco Unified School Education Board.
Some of those figures “discriminated against and enslaved people; anyone who oppressed women, hindered social progress; or their actions that led to the genocide,” the ruling said.
Other school recipients named by name include Thomas Jefferson, Senator and Mexican-American veteran Robert F. Stockton and environmentalist John Muir.
The process of renaming these schools has drawn mixed criticism, including the mayor of the Democratic Republic of San Francisco, London Breed, who said the attempt to rename schools in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic was “offensive.”
The decision to rename the 44 schools also brought charges and a decision from the San Francisco High Court ordered the board to withdraw the program until the children could continue to study on their own.
A 6-0 vote on Tuesday officially revoked the 6-1 vote that began the renaming process in January, reports the NBC Bay Area, with the board having the opportunity to reconsider the matter in due course.
In a statement sent by NBC News on Wednesday, Mayor Breed said he was “very happy” that the School Board had taken this step, but more importantly now that our children are not in class. That’s all. We need to open all our schools to make one learn as quickly as possible. Nothing is more important than that. ”
Other school recipients named by name include Thomas Jefferson, Senator and Mexican-American veteran Robert F. Stockton and environmentalist John Muir.
The process of renaming these schools has drawn mixed criticism, including the mayor of the Democratic Republic of San Francisco, London Breed, who said the attempt to rename schools in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic was “offensive.”