Barack Obama to Replace Jefferson Davis

An elementary school in Mississippi has announced that it will change its name from Jefferson Davis IB Elementary School to Barack Obama Magnet IB Elementary School. PTA president Janelle Jeffersontold the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees on Tuesday night that the community had voted to change the name. “Jefferson Davis, although infamous in his own right, would probably not be too happy about a diverse school promoting the education of the very individuals he fought to keep enslaved being named after him,” Janelle Jefferson told the board. During the 2016-17 school year, the school district’s student population was 96% Black. The Davis community had two weeks to submit their suggestions, and they voted for their candidate of choice on Oct. 5th. Before the vote, students from each class at the school gave presentations on the name they most preferred. Read more here.