Wilson High School to be renamed after historic black woman
Posted January 2021
Staff Editor
Amidst mounting pressure from students and alumni, Woodrow Wilson High School will be renamed after a historic black woman.
George Floyd’s death in May of last year elicited a national dialogue on the topics of civil rights and police brutality and prompted many to reevaluate the current and historic role of systemic racism and prejudice in society, sparking demonstrations nationwide. It caused many to question the high esteem in which we hold many historical figures, and the practice of erecting statues and naming schools in their honor. In the midst of all of this, the Wilson HS community posed the question: Should the school really be named after former president Woodrow Wilson?
As President, Wilson was an ally of the KKK and enacted segregation in federal government agencies. In an era in which statues of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington are torn down due to both having owned slaves, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the community was frustrated with the high school still being named after such a president. At first, Portland Public officials told The Oregonian they didn’t have any intentions to change the name of the school, however they would eventually acquiesce to public pressure by mid July of 2020.
“We’re responding to the energy in our community about the name changes,” stated Portland Public Schools Senior Adviser for Racial Equity and Social Justice Dani Ledezma to The Oregonian. “We’re not responding to the thing of the day or doing the easy thing, but we’re really being intentional … in seeking to figure out how we can change the student experience so that it is much more affirming.”
The school’s renaming effort would eventually begin in September. A committee tasked with determining a fitting new name for Wilson High narrowed the list down to a set of five candidates - all of whom are black women who made history in some way. The candidates are, as follows: Harriet Wilson, Ida B. Wells, Sojourner Truth, Mercedes Deiz, and Beatrice Morrow Cannady. The committee then began asking for community feedback in a campaign that lasted until Jan. 1.
