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The links below are mirrored news stories discussing the school's name change.
Some of these articles date back to 1999, the last time the issue was
discussed. There is a link to the original source after each article.
Many news outlets such as USA Today and CNN.com only used copies of the
AP story and had nothing new to add. A few have surveys and comment
sections. All this fuss over our little school.
News4Jax Name Change
One story, links to 6 other stories, and take survey
Commercial Appeal 10-28-08 One story with comments from
our own Sabrina
Florida Times Union Seven stories,
comments by our own Sabrina,
and take a survey
Wikipedia article on name change
One article
Folio Weekly FLOG on the name
change Lots of comments on the subject
Fox News Two stories
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Take the Rebel Brigade.com
Survey
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The Duval County School Board
voted late Monday
(actually I think it was Tuesday morning by the time the
votes were cast) to keep the school name as N. B. Forrest
High School.
Many news organizations across the country portrayed this
as a racist, backwoods, southern hick decision. Showing
THEIR ignorance they recycled the same old tired "facts" and
in many cases they only used the AP story and did not even
bother write their own.
I attended the Duval County School Board meeting and my
children addressed the board with their concerns. The fact
is that the STUDENTS (over 53% black) of N.B. Forrest voted
to keep the name. Independent polls taken by local news
stations overwhelmingly supported keeping the name.
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One board member rightfully stated her issue with
changing the name was that the opposition came from OUTSIDE the
alumni and immediate Forrest community. Alumni overwhelmingly
support keeping the name for their tradition.
There is historical evidence to support that General Forrest
did not support the radical racist activities of the Klan
and was in fact a civil rights advocate in his later days.
Why is this still an issue when we have at least one former Klan member (a member when
there was NO doubt about the Klan's agenda, methods, or
purpose; when it WAS a feared, hated, racist, terrorist
organization in the 1940's to 1960's) serving as an elected
official in Congress right now. Byrd joined the Ku Klux Klan
when he was twenty four in 1942. His local chapter
unanimously elected him Exalted Cyclops. Why should he be
given a pass and be allowed to serve with honor while N.B.
Forrest, who arguably never committed any "Hate Crimes";
who in his later years addressed the Jubilee of Pole
Bearers, an African-American political and social group
about their equality and living in peace and unity; who was
admired, respected, and loved by many of his former enemies
and former slaves be demonized and have his many
accomplishments erased from OUR history.
Who the school was named after over 40 years ago and what he
may or MAY NOT have done over 150 years ago are not the
primary concerns of most who support leaving the name alone.
We support the traditions and history that belongs to the
over 100,000 previous alumni of N. B. Forrest and our
children. In reading the any articles written on this
subject, it is clear that the vast majority of students and
alumni support leaving the name alone.
The decision to name the school N.B. Forrest may have been
politically motivated and made for the wrong reasons, but
the decision to leave it in place was made for the right
reasons. That is the history and heritage of our community
and children.
The Duval County School Board's decision to not change the
name of N.B. Forrest High School took courage and
leadership. They made this decision knowing it would be seen
by many as support or celebration of segregationist values
of days long past. Their decision is based on what the vast
majority of current and past alumni of the school want. I
salute them.
For more on General Nathan Bedford Forrest read these:
Forrest speech
General Forrest
Life of Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest
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