Politically Incorrect High Schools

[FilioScotia]

At the risk of opening a can of worms, I've wondered for some time how much longer three HISD schools will continue to bear the names they were given many decades ago. I'm speaking of Jefferson Davis High, Robert E. Lee High, and Albert Sydney Johnston Middle School. All over the country various groups and individuals are doing their best to erase all traces of the Confederacy -- i.e. the Confederate battle flag, and schools named for Confederate leaders.

For some reason, this hasn't come up in Houston, and I find that surprising. Lee High School has a large minority enrollment, especially African-American, and you would think they would be the ones complaining loudest about the name of their school. On the north side, the enrollment at Jeff Davis High is almost a hundred percent minority -- Hispanic and African-American -- and there too you would expect to hear complaints about the school's name. This is also true for Johnston Middle School, which is named for a confederate general who was killed early on in the Civil War.

Three schools -- all with large minority enrollments -- named for men who put their lives on the line to defend the institution of slavery. Any thoughts on why this doesn't seem to be an issue in Houston? I sincerely hope the mere discussion of it won't cause it to become an issue.

Edited August 29, 2006 by FilioScotia

[57Tbird]

Good point! Add to the list... my old school, the Lamar Redskins.

[pineda]

We used to be called the Westbury Rebels, complete with Confederate flag. It was even on our class rings. Our mascot was called Johnny Reb, guarded over by the Rebel Guards. Our drill team was known as The Rebelletes. I have no idea what their mascot is now.

westbury77.com shows photo of Johnny Reb

class of 1976 photos

photo of the capture of the Bellaire Cardinal mascot, an annual tradition of days gone by

Edited August 29, 2006 by pineda

[Firebird65]

At the risk of opening a can of worms, I've wondered for some time how much longer three HISD schools will continue to bear the names they were given many decades ago. I'm speaking of Jefferson Davis High, Robert E. Lee High, and Albert Sydney Johnston Middle School. All over the country various groups and individuals are doing their best to erase all traces of the Confederacy -- i.e. the Confederate battle flag, and schools named for Confederate leaders.

For some reason, this hasn't come up in Houston, and I find that surprising. Lee High School has a large minority enrollment, especially African-American, and you would think they would be the ones complaining loudest about the name of their school. On the north side, the enrollment at Jeff Davis High is almost a hundred percent minority -- Hispanic and African-American -- and there too you would expect to hear complaints about the school's name. This is also true for Johnston Middle School, which is named for a confederate general who was killed early on in the Civil War.

Three schools -- all with large minority enrollments -- named for men who put their lives on the line to defend the institution of slavery. Any thoughts on why this doesn't seem to be an issue in Houston? I sincerely hope the mere discussion of it won't cause it to become an issue.

You're too late... it's already happened... political correctness has sadly already reared it's intolerant head.

HISD's Robert E. Lee High School is no more. It's simply Lee High School, no Robert E. Some cowardly bureaucrat no doubt thought this would stave off the laughingly hypocritical PC crowd and it has for at least awhile. That may be because Lee's enrollment isn't majority Black (don't believe in the silly African American phrase) but more Asian and they apparently have better things to do than protest. Like learning.

Edited August 29, 2006 by Firebird65

[VicMan]

Lee High School is no longer "Robert E. Lee High School" - It's just plain "Lee High School" (See http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2003-11...ws/feature.html )

Good point! Add to the list... my old school, the Lamar Redskins.

Lamar is supposed to be phasing that out. So far only the girls' dance team, the Arrowettes, were renamed (to the Rangerettes)

Lamar took down the old announcement boards and replaced them with new ones bearing the school's seal instead of the mascot.

We used to be called the Westbury Rebels, complete with Confederate flag. It was even on our class rings. Our mascot was called Johnny Reb. I have no idea what their mascot is now.

The Johnny Reb stuff itself is gone - Westbury is now simply "the rebels"

[Firebird65]

Lee High School is no longer "Robert E. Lee High School" - It's just plain "Lee High School" (See http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2003-11...ws/feature.html )

Lamar is supposed to be phasing that out. So far only the girls' dance team, the Arrowettes, were renamed (to the Rangerettes)

Lamar took down the old announcement boards and replaced them with new ones bearing the school's seal instead of the mascot.

The Johnny Reb stuff itself is gone - Westbury is now simply "the rebels"

Thanks. vicman. I was going to pull up that article and attach it, but you beat me to it.

[Highway6]

Why hide American History ?

Those were great Southern leaders in a war that affected the entire nation. Slavery was just one aspect, the dark side, of Southern history and heritage.

The day we are forced to change the names of those highschools to appease one ethnicity, we'll have to change every street name named for a Texas hero, and the name of our city, to appease another ethnicity.

This is going to turn into the 1836 Thread all over again becasue it is the same thing.

Yes, slavery was a dark mark in our country's history, but to make slavery the only aspect that can define the South to the point where there can be no Southern Pride is equally a shame.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

I dont have any issue with the names of those schools. I do take issue with the Confederate flag. It is a foreign flag, of a short lived dead nation and should not be flown with honor as would the American flag.

[sevfiv]

what are the chances that much of anyone in houston knows the history of any of those folks anyhow?

[gonzo1976]

what are the chances that much of anyone in houston knows the history of any of those folks anyhow?

Given how history is taught in public schools, I'd say slim. Probably fewer know who Dick Dowling was, even though many have heard of the street.

Edited August 29, 2006 by gonzo1976

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Given how history is taught in public schools, I'd say slim. Probably fewer know who Dick Dowling was, even though many have heard of the street.

Theres also a school named after him.

[WestUNative]

My first thought as I begin to read this was "folks are not protesting because they are so damn ignorant of history these days, no one associates these names with anything." I'm not talking about ethnic groups or newcomers to our shores. I met a homegrown, white college boy recently who had never heard of Jackie Kennedy Onassis!!! Education is dead.

Meanwhile, I really questioned how long Lamar could carry on after all the flack about the Atlanta Braves. After all, Big Red always was on the rampage, wielding that tomahawk! I attended St. John's School and we were the Rebels with Johnny Reb as mascot, I'm sure it is long gone now.

Revisionism is lame, history is what it is and should not be erased or purified. I agree with Houston1stWord that it is best to avoid the use of inflammatory, incite to riot symbols and former icons, such as the Confederate Flag and Swastikas. However, to deny the use of factual information about who and what had gone before is wrong and truly stupid. How to learn from history if it no longer exists.

The Holocaust - Never Forget - Never Again, but do not inidicate your approval or sympathy for the causes of Nazism by waving the flag. Yet, it is imperative to study Hitler and the whole regimes of The Third Reich, as well as Genghis Khan, Stalin and all the heinous that have gone before.

What is sorely missing today is a common sense, balanced, intelligent approach to all this PC mess. The worst I have seen lately was reported on television. There are now software programs that "fix up" your word processing. The example being, a journalist typed in "they were wearing black armbands." His computer zapped that and printed "they were wearing African-American armbands." ROFL? It is terrifyingly true!

[Firebird65]

I met a homegrown, white college boy recently who had never heard of Jackie Kennedy Onassis!!!

All I can say to that is... WOW!

I remember getting into an argument with a person who kept saying the Vietnam War killed more Americans than all other wars combined. Didn't know whether to shout or laugh...

[KinkaidAlum]

The St. John's Rebels are now the St. John's Mavericks.

I never had a huge problem with the mascot name but I did think it was odd that in 1989 (my senior year), they were still flying the Confederate flag at games.

Now, as for everyone having such a hard time with "pc" naming debates, I wonder what your opinion would be if your white child had to attend Malcomb X High?

[Heights2Bastrop]

John H Reagan was Postmaster General of the Confederacy and even Treasury Secretary at the close of the war, so maybe his name should be expunged from the school as well.

Reagan was also a distinguished politician and an appointed member and eventually chairman if the railroad commission. Maybe we should discount the positives of his life and concentrate on his service to the Confederacy.

Robert E Lee was about, and will always represent the highest qualities in humankind

[VicMan]

I don't see it as erasing history when a school is renamed - Just because a person is a figure in history doesn't necessairly mean that he will be revered. E.G. remember when the Ken Lay YMCA (in Cinco Ranch) was renamed to the Katy Family YMCA?

Anyway - Lee has already been renamed anyway.

We could rename Reagan after Ronald Reagan, although I know many poor families hate him for his "Reaganomics" - I dunno what Davis is good to use for Davis High School.

[TJones]

Never fear, if you need to see "Robert E. Lee" on the side of a highschool still, just make a quick trip to Baytown, just 20 minutes east of Houston down I-10.

[Heights2Bastrop]

We could rename Reagan after Ronald Reagan

Over mt dead body!

Better stated, over the dead bodies of anyone who tries to change it!

[FilioScotia]

Never fear, if you need to see "Robert E. Lee" on the side of a highschool still, just make a quick trip to Baytown, just 20 minutes east of Houston down I-10.

Thanks to all. My question elicited some interesting comments, and I'm hoping to see more. Please though, no comments on mascot names. That's an entirely different debate that may be worth a separate thread of its own. I'm more interested in your thoughts on schools named for people who were famous in infamous causes, such as defending slavery in the Civil War -- excuse me: that War of Northern Aggression.

Someone mentioned John H. Reagan, and thanks for that. His name didn't occur to me when I started this thread. And speaking of Confederate war hero Dick Dowling, along with the school named for him, don't forget his statue at the entrance to Hermann Park over on Macgregor.

I had forgotten that Robert E's given names were taken off Lee High School a few years ago. Does anybody really believe that makes any difference? It's still Robert E. Lee, whether his given names are used or not. It's like taking the name Henry off the letterhead at Ford Motor Company and pretending the company's not named for Henry Ford.

I'm in full agreement with those who say it's wrong and silly to change names on buildings and other landmarks just because they're no longer politically correct with one group or another, in this case African-Americans. That sort of mindless revisionism can get out of control very easily, and it wouldn't be long before Mexican-Americans and other Hispanics would want names like Houston, Crockett, or Travis, or Bowie, or Austin taken off schools they attend in large numbers.

You know what? It may well be true that we don't have any controversy over those Confederate names because hardly anybody today knows who those people were, or what they were famous for. See? Nothing's ALL bad. Even historical illiteracy.

Edited August 30, 2006 by FilioScotia

[Alpha]

Over mt dead body!

Better stated, over the dead bodies of anyone who tries to change it!

I didn't go to Reagan, but I have several friends who did. I'm sure they would feel exactly the same way.

[VicMan]

"and it wouldn't be long before Mexican-Americans and other Hispanics would want names like Houston, Crockett, or Travis, or Bowie, or Austin taken off schools they attend in large numbers."

Most Mexican-Americans probably wouldn't care - Remember Spain AND Mexico had hard times convincing their own people to settle in Texas. That's why Mexico invited U.S. Southerners into Texas in the first place.

[TheNiche]

Most Mexican-Americans probably wouldn't care - Remember Spain AND Mexico had hard times convincing their own people to settle in Texas. That's why Mexico invited U.S. Southerners into Texas in the first place.

...and that applies to the present day how?

[VicMan]

...and that applies to the present day how?

Well - the question is: Do Mexican-Americans really care about the fact Mexico lost Texas?

I have my doubts about that.

[TheNiche]

Well - the question is: Do Mexican-Americans really care about the fact Mexico lost Texas?

I have my doubts about that.

Bear in mind the recent soccer team naming fiasco. Somebody had to have complained...and not just a single nutjob, either. There must've been a backlash.

[gonzo1976]

And speaking of Confederate war hero Dick Dowling, along with the school named for him, don't forget his statue at the entrance to Hermann Park over on Macgregor.

Does anyone have a picture of this? I'm wondering if this was the same statue that was located on City Hall grounds back when it was located at Market Square.

I think his birthday was celebrated in Houston for a number of years. I'm away from my research materials right now, but I think there was an annual event called Dick Dowling Day. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[pineda]

this is the group that was responsible for the annual Dick Dowling day

[pineda]

speaking of politically incorrect...

For verbage accompanying the photo go here

Houston Pubic Art

[gonzo1976]

Ah! Good to see the statue lives on!

[musicman]

I'm in full agreement with those who say it's wrong and silly to change names on buildings and other landmarks just because they're no longer politically correct with one group or another, in this case African-Americans. That sort of mindless revisionism can get out of control very easily, and it wouldn't be long before Mexican-Americans and other Hispanics would want names like Houston, Crockett, or Travis, or Bowie, or Austin taken off schools they attend in large numbers.

A few years ago they tried to rename Park Place Elementary. After much uproar by former students, the name was kept.

[TheNiche]

A few years ago they tried to rename Park Place Elementary. After much uproar by former students, the name was kept.

What's insulting about "Park Place"?