New Jersey District Removes Thomas Jefferson From Elementary School Name Over Slavery

An elementary school in New Jersey is changing its name after a successful year-long campaign to end its association with Thomas Jefferson due to his slave ownership.

Jefferson Elementary School in South Orange, New Jersey, is being renamed to Delia Bolden Elementary School to honor the first Black woman to graduate high school in the area, according to NJ Advance Media.

The name was selected by the student body from a list of choices. Many of the proposed names were of individuals related to the local area while others had no reference to a person living or dead.

Alternative choices included “Ruth Bader Ginsberg Elementary School” and “New Legacy Elementary School.”

The school claims the initiative was proposed and led by students. However, faculty members have been vocal in their support and assistance to the cause.

{snip}