The Fairfax County School Board has voted to rename a Virginia high school after the late Rep. John Lewis. The school is currently named after Robert E. Lee and will be renamed for the 2020-2021 academic year.
“Rep. Lewis was a champion of the Civil Rights movement, and our Board strongly believes this is an appropriate tribute to an individual who is a true American hero,” Fairfax County School Board Chair Ricardy Anderson said.
“We will also honor his life’s work by continuing to promote equity, justice, tolerance and service in the work that we do,” Anderson continued.
Lewis passed away at the age of 80 last week. The late U.S. Representative was well respected for his role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s. He was an early member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and helped to register voters across the southeastern United States. Most notably, he spoke at the March On Washington alongside Washington, D.C.