No Lincoln, FDR Or Dianne Feinstein? San Francisco Committee Recommends Removing Names From Schools—And Faces Heavy Backlash

Topline

San Francisco’s plan to rename up to 44 schools—including those named after Abraham Lincoln, Dianne Feinstein and Franklin Roosevelt—over alleged actions of racism, colonialism and other abuses by a city advisory committee drew a range of heavy criticism from its Mayor and different alumni associations.

Key Facts

Chief Critics

San Francisco Mayor London Breed released a blistering statement against the idea, calling it  “offensive” that the school district is devoting resources to name changes instead of addressing the challenges families are facing with distance learning.“Look, I believe in equality. It’s the forefront of my administration and we’ve made historic investments to address the systemic racism confronting our city. But the fact that our kids aren’t in school is what’s driving inequality in our City. Not the name of the school.”

Five high school alumni associations criticized the committee for not consulting professional historians, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.“We need an inclusive process that will allow all communities to be heard, use professional historians applying verifiable data, issue a written report why a school name might be changed, so the community can make a considered decision,” they said.

Key Background

The move comes after schools and public institutions face pressure to rename buildings or remove statues of racist or controversial historical figures in the wake of protests following the death of George Floyd. But even celebrated figures who are known for fighting against the Confederacy, such as Lincoln and Union General Ulysses S. Grant, have been scrutinized for what activists say are lesser known injustices.

Tangent

The school renaming battle mirrors another controversy in San Francisco last year. After years of debate, the school board voted to paint over a mural in a public high school that depicted the life of George Washington and included images of slavery and mistreatment of Native Americans. Russian-born artist Victor Arnautoff painted the mural in 1924 to spotlight the disturbing elements of Washington’s legacy, but critics noted the imagery may still be upsetting for students.