A famous Virginia high school is changing its name, and among the list of contenders is a prominent figure of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Students at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., have submitted more than 50 options as the school seeks a new name, among them naming it after notable individuals such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, George Floyd and even Brian Sicknick, the Capitol Police officer who died following last week’s riots in Washington,” according to The Hill.
T.C. Williams High School was the subject of the film “Remember The Titans.” In the film, the school overcomes the challenges of integration through success on the football field.
T.C. Williams the man was a segregationist and the superintendent of Alexandria’s public schools. He opposed integration even after the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education ruling, which ordered integration. In November, the school board voted unanimously to change the school’s name.
Other suggestions for renaming include Prince Harry and his wife, actress Megan Markle, The Hill said. Also on the list is Titan High School.
But Floyd, a Black man who died after an encounter with a White police officer, is the most controversial figure receiving consideration.
He died in police custody after an arrest for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill in May. Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis Police officer, was photographed kneeling on Floyd’s back and neck during the arrest. Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder in Floyd’s death. Three other officers were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
An autopsy by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office revealed that Floyd had methamphetamine, fentanyl, and alcohol in his system at the time of his death, which will likely be a major point of contention in the trials of Chauvin and his fellow officers.
One report said the amount of fentanyl Floyd ingested could have been fatal.
Floyd’s death sparked a summer of often-violent protests by Black Lives Matter and far-left group Antifa. Protests were held over Floyd’s death across the country, and internationally.
Floyd had a lengthy criminal history, mostly related to drug crimes and theft. But he also had one very serious brush up with the law.
“In August 2007, Floyd was arrested and charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Investigators said he and five other men barged into a woman’s apartment, and Floyd pushed a pistol into her abdomen before searching for items to steal,” according to Associated Press.
Two years later, he pleaded guilty to the crime and spent five years in prison.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “T.C. Williams High School” by Addisnog. CC BY-SA 4.0.
