Community wins fight to restore Armstrong-Kennedy High School name
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Armstrong High School will see its previous name, Armstrong-Kennedy High School, restored as a result of strong community advocacy, Richmond leaders said Tuesday.
During a Tuesday, Dec. 2 regular meeting of the Richmond City School Board, school leaders discussed the potential renaming of Armstrong High School.
There has been a push to rename Armstrong High to Armstrong-Kennedy High School, as it was established in 1980, when Armstrong High was combined with John F. Kennedy High School to create the Armstrong-Kennedy High School complex.
In 2004, "due to decreased enrollment at both Armstrong and Kennedy High schools," as well as the "escalating cost of operating both buildings," the two schools were merged. At that time, Richmond Public Schools dropped the former U.S. president's namesake and just called the school Armstrong High.
Many of those in favor of renaming the school emphasized that the history associated with the Kennedy name was effectively erased after 2004. During a July meeting, school board member Cheryl Burke recalled how trophies and awards were placed in trash cans after the removal of Kennedy. She described it as one of the saddest days in the city's history.
A listening session was held with members of the Kennedy Alumni Association on Thursday, Nov. 20. These alumni provided feedback on how Richmond Public Schools could best honor the legacy of Kennedy High.
According to the school district, the alumni's suggestions were taken into account moving forward.
Initial recommendations outlined by the school board
During Tuesday's meeting, Richmond Public Schools announced that it was reccomended that Armstrong High's name not change. However, several options as to how to represent Kennedy High at the school going forward were provided.
These recommendations included:
- Install a historical marker about John F. Kennedy High School outside the building
- Display a commemorative banner on the back of the stadium's bleachers reading "The Former Home of the John F. Kennedy Cougars," which will be visible from I-64
- Label the two display cases at the school's main entrance to serve as a "John F. Kennedy Hall of Fame"
- Designate a classroom as a "Hall of Fame" space, where artifacts and memorabilia associated with the school's history will be displayed
- Keep Armstrong's name on the building, but add the Kennedy name to the marquee
- Name the school's stadium the "John F. Kennedy Complex"
- This naming will be done funds permitting, per school leaders, with the Alumni Association potentially raising said funds
- Establish an annual "John F. Kennedy Alumni Week" or "John F. Kennedy Alumni Day"
- Ensure that the John F. Kennedy Alumni Association continues to give out annual scholarships
- Continue the John F. Kennedy Alumni Association's annual Back to School drive
Alumni argue that they were not heard at listening session
During public comment Tuesday night, multiple alumni who attended the November listening session disputed the idea that these recommendations represented them.
A former Kennedy High staff member, William McGee, claimed alumni were told the listening session was "not about the name change." He said that, instead, the meeting was framed by school leaders as only a discussion about how to honor the history of Kennedy High in addition to the potential name change.
"Nothing of that nature was discussed at that meeting, and we had been assured that that meeting was not being held [instead of] changing the name," he said.
Because of this, Tuesday night's speakers said they felt misled, unheard and blindsided by the school district. Their perspective was that the school district is wrongly claiming these recommendations wholly represent the alumni's perspectives.
"We didn't have a chance to say what we needed," said Larry Woolford, another alumnus who attended the listening session. "We didn't have any discussion [on the name change] ... When we learned of it [the decision,] it was the night of the vote."
Another alumnus, Dennis Mallory, said that everyone at the session maintained their support of restoring the school's previous name of Armstrong-Kennedy.
"That [the recommendations] disturbed the entire alumni, because that is not what we agreed upon," he said.
Board discusses if it's feasible to move forward with name change
Burke described the proposal presented Tuesday night as "well done" -- however, she did not feel as though it went far enough. She said she felt as though changing the name was still the right thing to do.
"Are we too drawn in to accept each other?" she asked. "This is an opportunity for inclusiveness."
She so moved that the school be renamed Armstrong-Kennedy High School effective July 2027. Additionally, she moved that the historic marker and display cases detailed in the recommendations be implemented.
School board vice chair Matthew Percival said he worried that they were "rushing" into renaming Armstrong High without enough feedback, as per school district policy. School board member Shonda Harris-Muhammed disputed this and outlined multiple instances in which feedback was collected over a lengthy period of time.
"I think we have done our due diligence," she said. "This discussion and process and activity has not started with this sitting board -- it actually was something that started with the previous board."
Harris-Muhammed said she was "ready for some closure," and that she felt many others were, too.
"This didn't just happen," said school board member Emmett Jafari. "We've got two decades of people walking through the community disgruntled, upset and thinking that Richmond Public Schools is ignoring them."
Superintendent Jason Kamras agreed with Harris-Muhammed and Jafari, saying he felt as though he felt they'd complied with "the spirit, if not the substance" of the school district's policy about renaming schools.
"This is a historic vote," Jafari said. "And I know that we can get bogged down in what the policy says, and we can go back and forth -- but I can tell you that, what was presented to us ... did not fully and accurately represent what those who were present at that Nov. 20 meeting said."
School board member Stephanie Rizzi said she wanted "reassurance" from legal counsel that they were indeed following policy closely enough, as she did not want this decision tonight to result in individuals trying to circumvent the process in the future.
School board chair Shavonda Fernandez said she supported the renaming, but she shared Percival's concerns, agreeing with Rizzi in wanting reassurance.
In response, legal counsel said that the school board has the right to interpret its own policy. Additionally, the school board has the right to waive or excuse a breach of policy in a particular instance, should they feel as though the policy has been heeded closely enough in that case.
Accordingly, the school board chose to revoke Burke's initial motion. She then filed a new motion, proposing renaming Armstrong High to Armstrong-Kennedy High effective July 2027, installing the historical marker and designating "Hall of Fame" display cases.
Burke further moved that all of the other recommendations be accepted and implemented at a later date.
This motion was approved unanimously.
"This is what happens when the community comes together," Fernandez said after the vote. "Thank you for your emails, thank you for your comments [and] thank you for your advocacy."
