RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Three possible new names have been selected for John B. Cary Elementary School, which will be renamed by the Richmond School Board later this year.
John B. Cary is one of four Richmond schools that will get new names this year, alongside George Wythe High School, Ginter Park Elementary and Binford Middle School. This is part of Richmond Schools’ process of renaming schools in the district named after members of the Confederate Army and historical figures who enslaved people.
The school is currently named after John B. Cary, a former superintendent of Richmond Public Schools who was also a staunch supporter of the Confederacy.
According to Matthew Stanley, Director of Advocacy and Outreach for Richmond Schools, the School Board will chose from three selected names:
– Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary School: Lois Harrison-Jones was the first female superintendent of Richmond Public Schools and the first Black female superintendent in Virginia. She was also the first Black female superintendent for the city of Boston.
– Maplewood Elementary School: John B. Cary is located on Maplewood Avenue in Richmond.
– Mildred Loving Elementary School: Mildred Loving and her husband Richard Loving were the plaintiffs in the U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia (1967), which effectively legalized interracial marriage in the United States.
These three names were chosen from a list of five that were initially considered. Grace Harris Elementary School, after a former provost and vice president for academic affairs at VCU, and Carillon Elementary School were both considered by eventually cut from the final list.
The Richmond School Board will vote on a new name on Monday, June 5.
