Editor’s note: A previous version of this story stated Kari LaBell voted against the renaming of both schools. LaBell did not vote against renaming Mercer Middle School, but did vote against renaming Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School. This story has been corrected.
The names of two public schools in Loudoun County, Virginia, are changing due to their ties to a slaveholder and an institution with racist origins.
The Loudoun County School Board voted Tuesday to rename Frances Hazel Reid Elementary School to Mildred and Richard Loving Elementary School.
Mercer Middle School will soon be named Gum Spring Middle School.
Several years ago, the school board contracted with History Matters to review school names. The organization came back with a list of 10 school names in the system that warranted further review, with Mercer and Frances Hazel Reid topping the list. History Matters recommended renaming those schools.
“The Board recognizes that this issue invoked strong and passionate feelings from around the community, and I want to thank my colleagues, the members of the renaming committees and everyone who shared their opinions for their thoughtful engagement,” School Board Chair Melinda Mansfield said in a statement.
“For me, it was through the many shared personal stories that demonstrated changing the schools’ names was an important step to embracing and celebrating the rich diversity of Loudoun County.”
Frances Hazel Reid, the organization found, was connected to the United Daughters of the Confederacy, while Mercer Middle School has been associated with Charles Fenton Mercer, a Loudoun County congressman who owned slaves and advocated for the resettlement of freed slaves on the west coast of Africa.
Vice Chair of the board Anne Donohue spoke in favor Tuesday night of Mercer’s renaming.
“We have heard people in this community who have said that it affected them,” Donohue said. “Just because I haven’t had that experience, doesn’t mean that it’s not a valid experience. And for those reasons, I absolutely am in support of renaming for Mercer.”
Board members, including April Chandler, had been hearing from and working with students throughout the renaming process.
“It’s not our job to protect the legacies of the past,” she said. “We’ve heard from students, teachers and community members who have come to speak to us directly about their lived experience throughout this process and the stress and painful impact of having to learn and work in environments that are tied to ideas that devalue their humanity.”
Not all members were on board with the name changes, however. Ashburn District board member Deana Griffiths called the move “a complete waste of money that does not help our children achieve in any way.”
“We have to focus on what is going on inside the schools, not cosmetic fixes outside the schools. Mercer Middle is not named after anyone. There are no plaques, pictures, anything stating the school is named for anyone.”
Gum Spring Middle School was chosen due to its close proximity to Gum Spring Road, while Mildred and Richard Loving Elementary School will honor Richard Loving, who, along with his wife Mildred, fought to defeat Virginia’s ban on interracial marriage.
The motion to rename Frances Hazel Reid passed by a 6-3 vote, with Griffiths, Kari LaBell and Lauren Shernoff voting against. The Mercer renaming passed by a 7-2 vote, with Griffiths and Shernoff against.
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