CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education has started the process of renaming Vance High School. The board met about the issue Tuesday night.
The high school's full name is Zebulon B. Vance High School. Vance was a two-time governor of North Carolina, a United States Senator, and an officer in the Confederate military.
"We know changing the school's name is largely symbolic, but it is an important step in the right direction," CMS Superintendent Earnest Winston said during the virtual meeting Tuesday.
Zebulon Vance is a significant figure in North Carolina history, but parts of it are troubling.
“To have a school named after a Confederate officer who fought hard for slavery and who, I believe, even after the Civil War defended slavery — that’s not cool for the kids who go to schools there,” Elyse Daschew, Chairperson of the Board of Education, previously said.
A new name for the high school has not yet been announced, but Daschew previously said she thinks there could be a new name for Vance High School by next school year.
