Photograph by Trinity Graham
After years of conversation, the Berkeley School Board decided on November 15 to rename LeConte Elementary School. UC Berkeley professor Joseph LeConte, was a slave owner who wrote many books on race, writing, “the Negro Race is still in childhood,” and was an avid supporter of the Confederacy. Despite LeConte’s contributions to the geological field, his racist, sexist, and discriminatory beliefs do not reflect the school’s values. As the school is in the process of becoming the district’s first fully bilingual immersion campus, possible future namesakes of the school could be some noteworthy Hispanic activists and heroes.
This is not the first time a Berkeley school’s name has been the object of debate. Jefferson Elementary and Willard Middle have both raised concerns for community members, considering their eponyms’ various ideals. In 2001, Columbus elementary was renamed Rosa Parks Elementary for these same reasons. Many of these names were chosen in the past by all white male school boards, and their choices don’t necessarily mirror Berkeley’s morals.
Berkeley is obviously not immune to the current wave of change rippling through America. As much of the South is disturbed by the abundance of Confederate monuments, compromises and major adjustments are being made by city and state officials. Statues and plaques are being removed, relocated, and replaced. In some situations, new Confederate monuments are being constructed to protest the “disgraced heroes.” In North Carolina, a statue of a Confederate soldier was dedicated with anecdotes of “the pleasing duty of whipping a Negro wench.” There are people in the South who argue that taking down statues is erasing history. However, there is a clear difference between remembering history and honoring it very publicly. It is important to make sure that we continue to learn about these historical figures, but that does not mean applauding everything about them.
All over the South, people are stepping up and finally admitting how uncomfortable they feel in their own town squares and universities, and it is time to honor those people’s wishes. This extends to anywhere in America, including Berkeley. Renaming a school may not solve all of America’s problems, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.