Robert E. Lee High School is located in San Antonio, Texas, in the North East Independent School District.
In addition to housing three magnet schools, including the International School of the Americas, North East School of the Arts (NESA), and the S.T.E.M academy, Lee HS is home to over 2,500 students. In the fall of 2015, a petition was created by a senior from NESA, in the hopes of changing the name of Robert E. Lee HS. The reason for this change was due to people feeling that the name was offensive, considering that General Robert E. Lee was the Confederate General in the Civil War.
Because of this, some feel as though he is not a person we should be honoring. After months of board meetings, student input, and news coverage, the name change ultimately failed.
Nearly two years later, another student has created a petition, urging the NEISD school board to once again revisit the idea of a name change.
Due to recent events, and the increasing amounts of racism our country now faces, the student, an alumni from Clark High School, believes that a name change would not only help ease minds after the events in Charlottesville, but would actually stand a chance of passing.
As a young woman who not only attended the high school in question, but had an extreme amount of love for the traditions that take place at the high school, the name change is concerning. While I see both sides of the issue, and believe that it needs to be discussed, there are a few things I feel need to be considered.
San Antonio has consistently been ranked in the nation's Top Friendliest Cities, and the neighborhood where Lee HS is located is no exception. Students who have attended the high school have often described the atmosphere at the high school as warm, welcoming, and accepting.
In my years as a student there, never once did I experience a racist remark, and I cannot recall hearing about a student who did. The area is generally inviting, and the Lee community is one that is very family-oriented.
Robert E. Lee HS has been open since 1958, and as a result, holds many traditions near to its heart. Lee HS has already taken measure to decrease tensions, such as changing their mascot from the Rebels, to the Volunteers many years ago, and removing the Confederate Flag from sporting events.
Following my graduation in 2016, statues depicting General Robert E. Lee have been removed from campus, as well all murals depicting the Confederacy. Traditional songs have been cut from football games and pep rallies, and team names have been changed in order to erase traces of The South.
Most recently, I learned that the dance teams were not allowed to say their team names (Rebel Rousers, Dixie Drillers, etc.) upon completing a performance, and that The General, our mascot, was not in attendance at the school's "Meet The Vols" pep rally. As a graduate of Lee HS, these moments, statues, and songs held a very special place in my heart, and the removal of them changed a significant amount of traditions at the school.
Something else that needs to be considered is how much money changing the name of the school would cost. In order to change the name, one would have to order all new uniforms for every sports team, fine arts program, and extra-curricular group. In addition, the names on buildings, door plaques, and billboards would have to be replaced.
The school would also have to pay to change the website, signatures included on important documents, diplomas, and contact information.
In light of recent events, I agree that something needs to be done to not only help ease tensions, but to prevent tragedies, like the events in Charlottesville, from happening again. Teaching love, tolerance, and acceptance is a great place to start. While doing this isn't an easy process, it could greatly reduce the amount of hate we see in our country. While we can never change our past, we can learn from it.
Changing the name of Robert E. Lee HS may help ease minds in the short run, but without teaching this important era in our country's history, we will not be able to prevent something like that from happening again.
The Lee HS community is proud to attend the school because they know, even in times of tragedy, they can be supportive and can work together to make things better. I have yet to meet a graduate, current student, or community member that adores the school because they support the Confederacy. If we wish to change the way the people of our country treat one another, we should be practicing love and tolerance.
The NEISD School Board is set to meet on Tuesday, August 29, in order to discuss the name change in detail. This is to be a closed meeting, meaning the community will not be able to attend and give their opinions. I am anxious to see what decision they come to, and I only hope that the decision will be what is best for the community, and our nation.
