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'It's about White Guilt' | Name change for first Virginia School to admit black students sparks controversy

Arlington's school board voted to change name of the Stratford School to Dorothy Hamm, a local civil rights leader who fought for integration.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The first all-white public school in Virginia to integrate is getting a brand new name. 

Stratford Junior High School in Arlington, Va. admitted its first black students nearly 60 years ago.  

Last month, the Arlington Public Schools board voted to change its name to Dorothy Hamm, a local civil rights leader who fought to integrate the school.  

The name Stratford came from the childhood plantation home of Robert E. Lee, the general who led the Confederacy. 

On February 2, 1959, four black children walked up to the school escorted by police and parents and surrounded by news media.  

RELATED: School board votes to rename Washington-Lee HS in Virginia to Washington-Liberty

"We were among a group of about 30 students who were seeking to integrate Virginia public schools," said Michael Jones, who was 12 years old when he made history walking with the other three students.  

He had his hand in his pocket and smile on his face in one picture. 

"We four were chosen to do that on that day in February in 1959," said Jones, explaining that he didn't really understand the magnitude of the situation. "We were just put in our place to do what we could do. Just a kid. Trying to go to 7th grade." 

He credits all of the parents and others, like Dorothy Hamm, who fought to end segregation in Arlington schools in the face of Virginia's Massive Resistance.

There's a big construction project going on behind the historic school which will be a new middle school.  

"I was on the naming committee, I don't know what happened," said Scott Taylor. "I didn't want to see the name changed, no."

Taylor is a Stratford alum and on the board of directors at the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington where a whole wall is decided to desegregation. 

RELATED: Washington-Lee students sue Arlington Co. Schools over renaming high school

He wanted to keep the Stratford in Some form.

"You talk about people all over the world are studying integration. They have in their books and newspaper articles, Washington-Lee High School, Stratford. And, they want to come and see these things and to cut it away, that's just not right to me...It's about White Guilt is what it's about. I'm going to give it to you, that's what it is," said Taylor. 

Michael Jones does not disagree with that, but supports the name change of his old school. 

"Nothing stays the same forever. And change is life. Change, for the good or bad. I have no problem with that," said Jones.  

He does not think it means we're forgetting our history.

"No, I mean history will still be there, you can still look up Robert E. Lee in the history books. Google it and find out about Robert E. Lee. It's no problem for me," he said. 

Arlington County Public Schools is planning a celebration to commemorate the the 60th anniversary of desegregation in Virginia, along with the new school name honoring a civil rights activist. 

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