GUEST COMMENTARY: Renaming James Blair Middle School
On Tuesday, the WJCC School Board will discuss renaming the Williamsburg school
Editor’s Note: This piece contains guest commentary by JW Caterine, the Editor of local newsletter Round The Triangle, who contacted me to share his thoughts on changing the name of James Blair Middle School in Williamsburg. The opinions expressed below are his and not necessarily those of the Williamsburg Independent.
Official Information: At a meeting tomorrow, the Williamsburg James City County School Board will begin to discuss changing the name of James Blair Middle School in Williamsburg. The meeting will be held in the auditorium of the school located at 101 Longhill Rd. on Tuesday, February 18 at 6:30pm.
Q&A with JW Caterine about changing the name of James Blair Middle School
Why should the middle school currently named after James Blair be renamed?
The Campaign for Honorable and Inclusive School Names believes that our school names should reflect the values of our school system, such as equality. We do not believe James Blair embodies these values because of his role in institutionalizing slavery in Virginia. He was not just an enslaver himself, but he petitioned the Anglican Church to allow Virginian parishes to hold enslaved people as a way to incentivize more British ministers to relocate to the Virginia colony. While the Anglican Church did not immediately act on this request, the Virginian colonial government did pass a measure which allowed churches and other organizations to hold enslaved people. Blair also loaned the College of W&M, which he co-founded, its first enslaved laborers, and under his direction as president the school purchased the Nottoway Plantation, including 17 enslaved people. The profits of this plantation funded scholarships for white students for decades, and generations of black children were born into slavery because of James Blair.
Is there a process to rename a school or any other local examples?
Yes, the school division's Policy FFA covers naming and renaming schools for the Williamsburg-James City County school division. Per this policy we submitted a formal request last September making our case to the board, and next Tuesday Feb. 18 they will vote on whether to begin the renaming process. A recent local example of a school name change is the renaming of Rawls Byrd Elementary to Laurel Lane Elementary in 2017. We believe our name change request is related, as the segregationist agenda pushed by former WJCC superintendent Rawls Byrd was an extension of the unequal education system established by James Blair through his use of institutionalized slavery. The naming of James Blair Middle School in 1954 back when it was a whites-only high school was also part of the Massive Resistance pro-segregation movement in Virginia.
What are the School Board’s next steps regarding renaming the school?
According to Policy FFA, the school board can create a committee which can make recommendations to the board on a new school name, or they can solicit input from the public, or they can skip all of these and make a decision on their own. The policy encourages the board to name the school after a distinctive attribute of the community but naming after an individual who has been deceased for 10 years is an option. We have proposed naming the school James B. Tabb after Rev. James B. Tabb, who played an important role in integrating the WJCC school system. He was the NAACP chapter president at the time, and after his passing was honored by the VA General Assembly in a joint resolution. We believe that naming the school after Rev. Tabb, who firmly stood for equality in education, would go a long way in undoing the legacy of slavery embodied by James Blair.
How has the community responded to the proposed name change?
Our campaign was started back in 2020 by community historian Mary Lassiter, a former student at James Blair High and one of the original members of Williamsburg's first fully integrated graduating class of 1969. I became involved in 2023, and we've been grateful for the support we've received from the community. We had the opportunity to host a panel on the subject of renaming schools at last year's Lemon Project Symposium, where we also discussed our request to rename Magruder Elementary in York County, which is named after Confederate General John B. Magruder. We also tabled at both the Williamsburg and James City County Juneteenth events last Summer. It was amazing to meet so many people at those events who Rev. James B. Tabb had personally married! :) We're also thankful for the support from organizations like the Village Initiative, the NAACP, Showing Up for Racial Justice, the Committee for Contextualizing Campus Landmarks and Iconography, and more.
What can people do to voice their opinions about the issue?
We urgently need the support of the community to ensure that the school board acts on our request to rename James Blair. You can help by emailing the school board members and letting them know you support our request to rename James Blair Middle, showing up to speak at the Feb. 18 meeting at James Blair Middle at 6 PM, and by sharing our campaign with your friends and family. You can also join our Facebook Group. We want to show the school board that we have wide support, so anything you can do helps. We appreciate it! And thanks to the Williamsburg Independent for covering our campaign!
Related information compiled by Williamsburg Independent:
Meeting links
Express your opinion
Letters can be mailed to:
Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools
P.O. Box 8783
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8783
Get involved
Community Partnerships: “WJCC Schools wants to team up with businesses, charities, religious groups, and community clubs to make learning better for students. These partnerships help bring more knowledge, resources, and chances for our students to learn and grow in exciting ways.”
School Volunteers: “Volunteering at WJCC Schools is a fantastic way to make a difference in our community and help our schools shine even brighter! By giving your time and skills, you can support students, teachers, and staff in so many ways. Whether you’re interested in helping out in the classroom, assisting with school events, or sharing your expertise in a special project, there’s a place for you.”
Citizen Advisory Committees: “Committee membership shall involve representatives from, or that support, the following categories: local business and industry, CTE teachers, parents, students, labor organizations, local Workforce Investment Council, local community college, special populations, out-of-school, homeless and/or at-risk youth, and other interested individuals.”
(Update 2-17-24 Grammar)
Guest commentary by JW Caterine, Editor of Round the Triangle.
Post compiled by George Arbogust, Editor, Williamsburg Independent.