Reasons Why

Wheeler High School is an exceptionally diverse school, however, our name is not representative of our student body. As a school that values self-advocacy, integrity, and respect, our community is committed to upholding these ideals and making changes in areas that do not meet this standard.

One of the core commitments of Wheeler High School is to "Provide a positive learning environment where all students feel valued, safe, and supported." By changing the name, we can communicate that we care for the community of Wheeler and respect their perspectives and opinions.

Why change the name of Joseph E. Wheeler High School?

Broader Impact

1. Nearly 5,000 individuals have currently signed the initial change.org petition in support of a name change. This petition was created last summer by Wheeler community members unaffiliated with our current group.

2. An updated name could benefit the perception of the Cobb County school district on the state and national level, as it would illustrate the ability of our overall community to come together and make a positive change.

3. A name change could help acknowledge the progress of our county in terms of racial equality and civil rights since the 1960s.

4. There are no schools in Cobb County with an African American namesake, which does not fully reflect the county’s demographics. A name change might present an opportunity to use the symbolic power of a school name to honor more diverse figures of excellence. All students should have historical figures that they can point to and identify with.

5. A new name could be named after a geographical feature to ensure the name is not reliant on an individual's reputation.

We are not suggesting any particular names or changes to the current name, as our priority is for the community as a whole to work to determine the proposed name. We are only highlighting opportunities that might emerge. It is important for us to simply agree that there is room for reconsideration first.

6. Unlike surrounding counties, Cobb County does not have detailed policy to help advise renaming public facilities, such as schools. Pursuing a potential name change would allow the county to develop a clear vision for when and how to handle these issues.

7. By addressing this issue, the school board would demonstrate that they value and respect the opinions, advocacy, and work of the many students they represent.

8. Due to the existence of Wheeler’s Magnet program, students whose households vote for and are represented by board members in various Posts attend the school, which emphasizes the relevance of this issue to board members who don’t represent the Post that Wheeler is located in.

Our Immediate Community

9. Over 1,000 Wheeler parents, students, faculty, alumni, and community members have filled out our local survey detailing their support and suggestions for renaming the school.

10. The process of changing or altering the name would allow the whole community to have a say in what/who represents them, as opposed to how the original discussion and approval was essentially kept to the school board.

11. For many years, the student body was all or mostly-all white. As attendance zones have been redrawn, the demographics of the school have changed drastically. According to US News, current enrollment is 39% black, 26% white, 20% Hispanic, and 12% Asian. A name change would help acknowledge this shift in diversity overtime by allowing new perspectives to be heard.

12. A new name would help celebrate, rather than diminish, our diverse student body. Wheeler is proudly one of the most diverse schools in the nation, and an updated name could reaffirm our school’s continued devotion to celebrating our diverse community through events like International Night.

13. Our team is composed entirely of current Wheeler students from across the school who work together to lead this cause and voice the concerns of our peers. A potential name change and discussion surrounding the topic shows that the school values student leadership and advocacy.

14. A new name could serve as motivation to address other concerns within our school by teaching students that their efforts can produce positive change. It would establish a legacy to encourage future success as the community must work to uphold the values its name symbolizes.

15. A new name would more clearly align with our school's mission of providing “a positive learning environment where all students feel valued, safe, and supported.”

16. We have met with and/or heard from alumni between the Classes of 1978 and 2020 who feel a name change is beneficial and would even enhance their school pride, as it would embody their alma mater’s commitment to welcome and support its students.

17. POC students and staff would no longer have their achievements tied to an official name that upholds contradictory ideals.

18. Important questions to ask are, why should Joseph Wheeler be the school’s name? What benefits does it provide? If you were to name a new school today, would you still choose Joseph Wheeler?

Considering the History

19. The name was chosen in August 1964, a decade after the Brown v. Board of Education decision amidst the county’s struggle to oppose integration. This historical context indicates how a Confederate general was likely chosen as a passive aggressive move against the publicly contested, yet inevitable integration of schools in the county.

20. Furthermore, the school board at the time was aware that they would not receive federal funding if they chose to not comply with integration orders. The district voted to integrate in 1965 because their hand was forced, not necessarily because they wholeheartedly supported the move. Again, this goes to show why the name "Joseph Wheeler" was likely intended to be somewhat antagonistic.

21. In March 1965, the board received a petition with 113 signatures calling for Joseph E. Wheeler High School to be renamed Cobb Senior High School. We do not currently have additional information on the content of the petition. However, this shows the lack of community involvement surrounding the school’s original naming.

22. This issue is not about Joseph Wheeler as an individual but rather as a symbolic figure. The school’s first yearbook states, “This is the place which bears the name of Confederate general Joseph E. Wheeler.” It seems the name was chosen only for this chapter of his life and the particular sentiments it conveys.

23. The current county rule states that a namesake “must have made a significant educational, historical, or social contribution in the community.” Joseph Wheeler’s impact in the region is very limited. He has more significant ties to Alabama, where he served as a state representative and also worked as a planter and lawyer. There are deserving individuals with direct ties to our community here in Cobb County.

24. Of the six high schools in Georgia named after Confederates, Joseph Wheeler High School is the only one not named after the county itself, again highlighting the name’s irrelevance to our region and school.

25. The history of the Civil War and the lives of the generals involved in it are undoubtedly important topics to learn about. However, this issue is about reconsidering who, how, and why we honor people in history. Because there is public honor associated with the name of a school, it is important that the name reflects values that the community supports in order to set a positive example for the future.

26. The confederate in question wrote one of the first “revisionist” speeches (called "Slavery and States' Rights") which blamed the North for the civil war and spurred subsequent arguments about “states rights” and “nullification”: claims that were used to justify the subsequent Jim Crow era.