Q: What does the timeline look like? Where are you in the process right now?

A: We are currently in the process of soliciting community input for a name that follows our guiding principles. By December we plan on finalizing our decision with a name that is agreed upon amongst the community. Throughout January and mid-spring, we will undergo the rebranding process and we are projecting that will be completed by April/May 2021. 

Q: I didn’t sign up for the committee/I wasn’t chosen to be the committee. How can I participate?

A: YES! There are many ways you can participate in. A great way to participate is to research a name that would be a good fit for Wilson and its values and submit it to the community input form. Another way you can participate is that as the committee gets approved for the new name, we will break out into sub-committees in which you can sign up and help with the process! You will help us choose how we represent our school through, color(s), logo, mascot, and student participation. 

Q: How did you ensure that the name chosen was unbiased and represents your goals as a committee and our values as a community?

A: In our effort to choose a name that reflects stated values as a community and as a committee, we are soliciting community input. We will be undergoing extensive research on the background of the said name (whether it is a person, place, or thing). 

Q: Why are we renaming Wilson High School? What did Woodrow Wilson do?

A: 

 

Q: What are the financial implications for this name change?

A: In June of this year (2020), the School Board approved the proposal to move forward with changing the name of Wilson. As stated in the 2.20.11 PPS directive: “Consideration will be given to the historical background of the name to ensure that it is not associated with activities that are in conflict with the District’s mission, goals, and policy of non- discrimination.” If the name does not reflect the values of the school, there will be no finances included. 

(See more with PPS’ statement about name changes)

Q: But what about Wilsons positive contributions?

A: Within any movements for change, there will be push-back. Some people argue that Wilson was a great president, despite his discriminatory actions, and some may say that the positives outweigh the negatives. One can be good at their job and still be lacking in morality. While this seems challenging, many other schools named after Wilson have changed their names and/or are working towards changing their names. 

1.The Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Northern California is renaming itself as the Michelle Obama Elementary (Young 2020)

2.Camden School Superintendent Katrina McCombs said the district this summer will rename its Woodrow Wilson High School (Burney 2020)

3.Monmouth University in New Jersey said it would remove Woodrow Wilson’s name from its marquee building (Levenson 2020)

4.Students at a Wilson high school in Washington, D.C., are petitioning to rename the school after the late Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsberg (Young 2020).

5. A petition to change the name of Woodrow Wilson High School located in Long Beach, California (Tim Grobaty 2020)

6.Princeton University plans to rename residential college after black alumna, and co-CEO of Ariel Investments, Mellody Hobson

Q: But wouldn’t re-naming our school, be erasing history?

A: Some may argue that by changing the name of the school we are erasing history. They choose to memorialize not Wilson, but his existence in American history because ¨ isn't the cost of erasing history higher than keeping it?¨ They often ask “aren’t we supposed to teach history so we do not repeat it?” Yet, it must be remembered that changing the name of a school does not erase history, it merely continues the story. Changing the name of the school will become part of our history, and it will serve as a reflection of the world around us. History lives and breathes through our world and the changes within it. 

Personal student perspective...

If somebody truly wants to argue about preserving history then they must also help preserve the present. Today is tomorrow's history. As we all know, what is going on today will be written in history books for the next generations, and when it is, will we be a contributor to it? Will we play a part in the history we value so much or will we stand still and let it repeat? In this very moment, we have the choice to either continue honoring a white supremacist who reinforced segregation, or we can change the narrative, working towards equity and inclusion by uplifting communities of color. This is the very first step, the bare minimum of equity work. I have not even begun to address the lack of a diverse curriculum or the disciplinary policies in public schools that foster the school to prison pipeline. We have just scratched the surface of all the work we need to do. But “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” Lao Tzu, and it’s time to take ours.