Here Are A Few Ideas On How To Re-name Robert E. Lee Elementary

Jul. 21, 2015 / By

Long Beach and San Diego are the only two cities in the state with public schools that honor Confederate leader Robert E. Lee. But in Long Beach, it’s time for change.

In response to the Charleston murder of nine black church members and the following nationwide debate that led to removal of Confederate flags from government grounds in the South, local residents are rallying to make sure the school’s name is more reflective of the diversity of its students.

More than 140 residents attended LBUSD’s Board of Education meeting Monday, reaching capacity, to share possible name choices and ensure that the board’s move towards creating an ad-hoc committee to finally pick the name will be made up of diverse members.

In the video above, community members share their choices.

Michael Lozano

Michael is an editor and multimedia journalist born to Mexican parents who started their own Domestic Violence counseling center in Southeast Los Angeles. His mentorship has provided youth opportunities to share their stories online on NPR, KCET, the Long Beach Post, and other national websites. His articles have been syndicated and translated into multiple languages via New America Media and ImpreMedia, the nation’s largest Spanish-language news publisher. He was a fellow with UCLA's Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies, and has recently been a Votebeat Reporter for CalMatters and the Long Beach Post. Michael graduated from CSULB in 2011 with research honors in Sociology and a Journalism minor. Follow his work @chicanochico on Twitter and @thechicanochicoreport on Instagram.