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Jul 22, 2008 6:12 pm US/Central
Renaming Of Historic Dallas School Causes Uproar
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A historic Dallas school for the performing arts is the source of controversy this week.
The performing and visual arts program at Booker T. Washington is now known as the Hammon Arts Magnet.
The school reopened this past spring with a multi-million dollar expansion. A $10 million donation from arts advocate Nancy Hammon generated the new name.
The nationally recognized arts education program is an extension of Washington High's historic status in Dallas. It was the first high school built for Black Dallas teenagers.
"The school's name has not been changed," said Dallas Independent School District Spokesperson Jon Dahlander. "Three years ago the board voted to allow for the renaming of certain portions of that campus."
Thousands of former students tied to Booker T's history are upset by the change.
Ava Wilson continued the family tradition when she graduated from the school. "Both of my grandfathers went to school here, my uncles and aunts," she said. "My father was in the last graduating class of the technical high school."
"You would never know that this is a thriving, African American community once upon a time," Wilson said. "If you don't use the building and if you don't use the name, are you erasing the history and the relevance of the people that proceeded you?"
Ronald Morgan, a member of the Washington-Lincoln Alumni Association, agrees with Wilson.
"Any other name attached to that location would be like erasing a segment of Black history in Dallas," he said. "I don't care what you call it. I don't even want them to get rid of the dot behind the T."
For Wilson and Morgan, there's only one name for their school, and they plan to fight to keep it that way.
The school board will discuss the name on Thursday.
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