School updates: What people are saying about changing Woodrow Wilson High School’s name – to August Wilson High School

For those who haven’t heard yet: DC Public Schools has announced its proposal to name Woodrow Wilson High School after playwright August Wilson, who wrote award-winning plays about the Black experience in America.

DCPS cited community input in its decision, saying that August Wilson was the preferred name in a public survey with 6,000 respondents, which included students, families, alumni and community members.

“At DCPS, where a majority of our school leaders and students, and nearly half of our teachers identify as Black, we are committed to fulfilling the efforts of social activism and ensuring that the names we call our schools reflect our values and commitment to diversity,” DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said in a statement.

Principal Kimberly Martin told the Wilson community that she was “thrilled.”

“As a former English and history teacher, I could not be prouder to celebrate the new name of our high school,” she said. Martin knew about the choice in early January, The (Wilson) Beacon reported, but “she wasn’t able to use it for graduation preparations because it hadn’t been made public in time to place orders.” Martin did, however, order graduation regalia that says, simply, “Wilson High School.”

Ruth Wattenberg, the Ward 3 representative on the DC State Board of Education, said August Wilson was “the right name for this time and place.” She referred followers on Twitter to her December 2020 tweet thread advocating for the change.

I know for some renaming @Wilsonhsdcps for August Wilson feels like a “convenience.” I think of it as “serendipitous”! Rarely do we name schools for stars of lit/humanities. But we should! They give students/society keys to understanding our world, including America and race.2/10

— Ruth Wattenberg (@Ruth4Schools) December 21, 2020

The proposed name does have its critics. The DC History and Justice Collective spearheaded the most recent effort to change the school’s name.

We are so disappointed @MayorBowser and @dcpublicschools took the easy route, not the right one in “renaming” @Wilsonhsdcps … (August) Wilson HS. #renamewilsonhs 1/3

— DC History & Justice Collective (@history_dc) April 20, 2021

We set out to pay homage to the ppl, communities, legacies of those left behind, erased from #northwestDC‘s history & to foster pride, renewal to students & teachers’ daily experience. #renamewilsonhs 2/3

— DC History & Justice Collective (@history_dc) April 20, 2021

“@dcpublicschools, @MayorBowser missed the mark by choosing to retain the toxic Wilson brand at the cost of elevating 2 Black DC educators, Edna Jackson & Vince Reed,” the group said in another tweet.

In an op-ed for Wilson High’s student newspaper, senior Sarah Ghirmay-Morgan wrote:

This is change, sure, but can’t we push for more? Can’t we make it so that the name is something new, something that shows the world how committed we are to making a difference? A name that shows our respect for teachers, our respect for staff, our acknowledgment of the hard work that Black teachers like Edna B. Jackson and principals and superintendents like Vincent Reed put in for equality? To me, the name August Wilson shows our commitment to saving money on signage.

Ghirmay-Morgan also argues that the DCPS interpretation of the public survey lacks perspective. Respondents who preferred a name with a connection to the school split their vote between Wilson’s first Black principal, Vincent Reed, and the school’s first Black teacher, Edna B. Jackson. Together they got 36 percent of the vote, to August Wilson’s 29 percent.

Critics and supporters of the proposed name have another opportunity to make their case. The DC Council now gets to weigh in.

First day of school, Covid edition

Monday, April 26th was the first day of in-person school at Deal Middle School since March 2020.

We are so excited to welcome back nearly 700 students this week. #HereWeGrow #ADMS #ADMS2021 #ADMSHereWeGrow #DCPS #DCPS2021 pic.twitter.com/xcaAXy3M1e

— Alice Deal MS (@DealVikings) April 26, 2021

Some students have been going to the school on Wednesdays for additional support, but no instruction was taking place.

Excuse us while we plug another hyperlocal publication…

We’ve made no secret of the fact that we’re fans of the journalism coming from Wilson High School’s newspaper, The Beacon. The award-winning publication is online and also publishes a monthly digital newspaper that is worth a subscription.

The April 6th issue includes articles about staff cuts due to a projected $1 million budget gap, and a new summer program funded by federal stimulus money. One student writes a first-hand account on what it’s like to have Covid-19. Another writes about what it’s like to be attending class again in person.

There’s also advice on how to handle the warmer weather and a review of the new mixtape from rapper and Wilson alum Sam Pain.

And a Wilson history teacher will teach a new elective in the next school year: “Activism in the United States.”