In the past few years, several southern cities are moving forward from their racist histories in part by examining the namesakes of their institutions. In Charlottesville, it’s personal. Many of the descendants of those who suffered injustices from slavery to segregation live here, as do the descendants of those for whom our public schools, roads and buildings are named. How do we move forward together?
Join the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society and Charlottesville Tomorrow for a conversation about how we understand history, and the people whose names are given to our buildings and organizations. Reporter Tamica Jean-Charles will be in conversation with Chuck Moran, whose great aunt was a namesake of Burnley-Moran Elementary School, and Karen Waters, director of community education at Albemarle County Public Schools, and Lorenzo Dickerson, local storyteller and documentary filmmaker who helped identify and commemorate the first 26 African American students to desegregate Albemarle County Schools.
The panel discussion will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 5:30 p.m in the Swanson Room on the third floor of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Central Branch in downtown Charlottesville.
There will be light refreshments and Charlottesville Tomorrow swag available. RSVPs are helpful but not required to attend. Here is where you can RSVP.
Street parking is available, but limited on surrounding blocks. The Historical Society can offer parking vouchers for those who need to park in the Market Street Parking Garage (546 E Market St.) three blocks away. For accessibility, use the ramp on the 2nd Street and Market Street corner of the library and take the elevator to the third floor.
Here’s more about renaming institutions.
Four Albemarle schools might keep their names, yet the fate of two other schools remains uncertain
“Even if you name something after an exemplary individual, it shouldn’t necessarily be in perpetuity,” Board member Kate Acuff said.
With new construction underway, Charlottesville School Board quickly renames Buford to Charlottesville Middle School
Buford will be the third Charlottesville City School to be renamed.
The great nephew of one of the Burnley-Moran Elementary School namesakes defends his aunt’s legacy
Sarepta Moran was a white elementary school principal during segregation and a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, but her nephew says that doesn’t mean she was racist.
Charlottesville City Schools asked students to rename their elementary schools — but officials are having second thoughts
Students voted to rename Venable as “Trailblazers” and Clark as “Friendship.”
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