Students launch new push to name Auburn (NY) High School after Harriet Tubman

[Dennis Donovan]

https://auburnpub.com/news/local/students-launch-new-push-to-name-auburn-high-school-after-harriet-tubman/article_91d41030-67a2-512f-9532-14f350ac022d.html


Auburn High School - Kevin Rivoli

Kelly Rocheleau Jan 14, 2021 Updated 21 min ago

Some students are asking that Auburn High School be renamed Harriet Tubman High School to honor the iconic abolitionist and former city resident.

Jane Oliver, one of the student representatives currently serving on the Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education, brought up the suggestion at the board's meeting Tuesday night. Oliver, daughter of Auburn Junior High School Principal David Oliver, said she emailed the board the day before about an initiative from students to rename the high school after Tubman.

Jane Oliver acknowledged there have been past unsuccessful attempts at this same change. A group called Multicultural Students and Teachers Against Racism proposed it in March 1995, leading a large group of students to walk out of the school in protest five days later.

"We believe the name change will show how proud of our community that we are and its historical connection to Harriet Tubman and the fight for equality," Oliver said Tuesday. "We know that this name change will not be immediate or solve the systemic issues within our society, but we hope that it will start a conversation."

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I'm Class of '83 from AHS.

[struggle4progress]

1. +

[dewsgirl]

2. K and R, it's a shame it's taken this long.