JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — (Note: The video above was originally published April 6.)
More than 150 years after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered in the Civil War, balloting has begun on whether a Jacksonville high school should give up his name.
Thousands are expected to cast their votes on whether to change the name of Lee High School, along with eight other schools named after historical figures the Duval County School Board has identified as Confederate leaders or responsible for killing or removing Native American populations.
Community balloting has already wrapped up at five of the nine schools in the name changing process. Monday at Lee High, the pace of voters was steady.
Many of the people walking in and out of Lee High School's doors to vote did so with a smile on their faces. Whether they are for or against the name change, they say they feel like their voices are being heard.
“I feel like it’s a bit of a stain on Jacksonville and it needs to change,” said Caroline Capel, who voted for the name to be changed.
“If the name is changed, it doesn’t alter anything in history," said Cliff Douglas who is an alumni and voted to keep the name. "Everything stays the same.”
Douglas said many alumni struggle with changing the name because they've identified with it for most of their lives.
“It’s full of wonderful memories," Douglas said. "It was a tremendous education we received here.”
"It's a very big day in the struggle that we initiated some time ago," said Ben Frazier, leader of the Northside Coalition. "This is not a moment, this is a movement. This is a historic moment."
Not everyone is eligible to cast a ballot. You must be a teacher, parent, student, alumni or community member living in the schools' attendance zones.
Voting began Monday for Robert E. Lee High School, Andrew Jackson High School, Ribault High School and Ribault Middle School.
The ballots allow voters to make one of two choices: Change the name, or don't. If they choose to change, they can select an alternate name from a predetermined list.
“It may not change, but hopefully speaking I hope it does change,” said Amanda Capel, who lives in the community and voted to change the name.
"Today's news is tomorrow's history," said Tim Gilmore, a professor, writer and local historian. He said it's no accident the controversial school names emerged at two key historical moments.
"One was in the 1920s and one was in the 1950s and 60s in the wake of the Civil Rights movement," he said.
Gilmore said both eras were marked by advances for Black Americans and met with backlash from white Americans, including the school names in question. He said many aren't aware of it right now, but we are in the midst of a new wave in history.
"This is an incredibly significant time in history and I think it's exciting," Gilmore said. "Students are paying attention to history."
If you are a member of a stakeholder group eligible to vote, you can do so on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or until 6:30 for Lee High, through May 9.
Regardless of how the community votes, the Duval County School Board will ultimately make the final decision.