CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools held a renaming ceremony Monday.
The Barringer Academic Center will now be called the Charles H. Parker Center after a late local activist who helped build the West Boulevard community. This was the second vote this year to change schools named for people with racist connections or backgrounds.
The board of education voted on April 13 to rename the center.
According to the district, the elementary school had a magnet program named after Osmond Barringer, who developed the area near West Boulevard, where the school was built. In October 2020, it was revealed the Barringer namesake is connected to supporters of white supremacy. Shortly after, CMS launched the renaming process.
“We are proud to rename this school for Mr. Parker, who was born into slavery and who went on to build schools, establish churches and provide affordable housing in the African-American community,” Elyse Dashew, Board chair, said back in April. “His legacy in public education in Charlotte, as well as his visionary civic activism, will serve as an inspiration to students and the school and our district as a whole.”
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