Virginia school board votes to restore Confederate names - BBC News

In a first for the US, two Virginia schools will have their original Confederate names reinstated.

8 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Shenandoah Valley is emblematic of the complex legacy of race relations in the American southBy Sam CabralBBC NewsA Virginia school board has approved a motion for two schools to revert to their Confederate names following a debate that bitterly divided a town.

The Shenandoah County School Board voted 5-1 to reinstate the names of Stonewall Jackson High and Ashby-Lee Elementary in Quicksburg.

Community members had been pushing for a reversal, arguing the 2020 name change was unpopular.

The vote marked the first such U-turn anywhere in the US.

A large crowd flocked to the school board's public meeting on Thursday to listen to a series of arguments from residents on both sides of the issue.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68985412

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