Mechanicsville High School

Last updated

Mechanicsville High School
Mechanicsville High School.jpg
Address
Mechanicsville High School
7052 Mechanicsville Turnpike

, ,
23111
Coordinates 37°36′49.1″N77°20′25.5″W / 37.613639°N 77.340417°W / 37.613639; -77.340417
Information
Type Public high school
Opened1958;66 years ago (1958)
School district Hanover County Public Schools
PrincipalBrandon Petrosky
Grades 912
Enrollment1,354 (2022–23) [1]
CampusSuburban
Color(s)
  •   Purple
  •   Orange
  • Additional colors: gray and white
Athletics conference Capital District
Central Region
MascotMustangs
Rivals[ citation needed ]
Feeder schoolsBell Creek Middle School
Website https://mhs.hcps.us/
Mechanicsville High School

Mechanicsville High School (formerly Lee-Davis High School) is a public high school located in Mechanicsville, Virginia, United States. It serves students in grades 9 through 12 and is part of Hanover County Public Schools.

Contents

History

Mechanicsville High School opened in 1959 under the name Lee-Davis High School and received students from the consolidation of Battlefield Park and Washington-Henry High Schools. After the new high school opened, both Battlefield Park and Washington-Henry became elementary schools. [2] Lee-Davis opened in the midst of Massive Resistance, as the State of Virginia opposed desegregation of its public schools, despite the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. After opening as an all-white school, Lee-Davis admitted a small number of Black students in 1963, but did not fully integrate until the 1969–1970 school year, after all legal avenues resisting full integration were exhausted. [3]

Naming controversy

Former school logo Logo ldhs.PNG
Former school logo
Replacement school logo Lee-Davis HS newlogo.png
Replacement school logo

The Hanover County School Board named the school “in the memory and honor of two prominent members of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis.” [4] The two men were featured in the school's logo. [5]

The school's name and mascot were contested since the school was fully integrated in 1969–70. That year, the Hanover chapter of the NAACP appealed to the school board, on behalf of Black athletes, to remove the Confederate moniker from athletic teams because Black athletes didn't want to play as "Confederates." [6] After a poll was taken of the Lee Davis student body, and it found overwhelming approval of the names, the principal decided to keep the name. [7]

In Fall 2018, shortly after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, a group of alumni, students, and local residents appealed to the School Board to change the name of Lee-Davis and its feeder school, Stonewall Jackson Middle School. [8] Following a survey, [5] the School Board voted in April to keep the names. [9]

In August 2019, the Hanover County NAACP sued the Hanover County School Board in Federal Court on constitutional grounds. [10] The suit was dismissed by a federal judge in May 2020. [11] In June 2020, the Hanover County NAACP said that it would appeal the ruling. [12]

After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, another local movement to change the name of LDHS arose. [13] On July 14, 2020, the Hanover County School Board voted to rename both Lee-Davis and Stonewall Jackson in a 4–3 vote. [14] In mid-October, after considering other names such as Twin Rivers High School, the county and its residents agreed on the badge of Mechanicsville High School. [15] [16]

Athletics

The varsity boys Baseball Team were the Virginia High School League group AAA state champions in both 1997 and 2001. The girls softball team won the 2011 state championship. Mechanicsville is a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School. [17] In 2014 and 2015 the boys track team won back to back outdoor 5A state championships.

Performing arts

Mechanicsville has two competitive show choirs, the mixed-gender Madz and the women's-only New Horizons. [18] Together with Hanover High School, Mechanicsville hosts a choir competition every year. [19]

Notable alumni

Further reading

References [25]

  1. "Search for Public Schools - Lee Davis High (510183000772)". National Center for Education Statistics . Institute of Education Sciences . Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  2. Rebecca Bray and Lloyd Jones. A History of Education in Hanover County, Virginia, 1778-2008. Ashland, VA: Hanover County Public Schools, 2010.
  3. Dan Sherrier, “The History of Lee-Davis and Patrick Henry,” Part X, Herald-Progress December 11, 2008; Jody L. Allen, “Roses in December: Black Life in Hanover County, Virginia, During the Era of Disfranchisement.” Ph.D. dissertation, College of William and Mary, Dept. of History, 2007 (Ch. 5); Rebecca Bray and Lloyd Jones. A History of Education in Hanover County, Virginia, 1778-2008. Ashland, VA: Hanover County Public Schools, 2010.
  4. Hanover County School Board minute book, May 6, 1958.
  5. 1 2 Debbie Truong (March 29, 2018). "In Va. community where Civil War ties run deep, schools named after Confederate figures find broad support". Washington Post.
  6. "Confederate naming Lee-Davis decision," Herald-Progress December 3, 1970
  7. "L-D Votes to retain “Confederates” Herald-Progress, April 8, 1971
  8. Times-Dispatch, JUSTIN MATTINGLY Richmond (November 23, 2019). "'It has to change': Meet the people behind the fight to change Hanover's school names". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  9. Local, Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville (April 17, 2018). "5-2 vote keeps schools and mascots the same". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  10. Times-Dispatch, C. SUAREZ ROJAS Richmond (August 16, 2019). "Local NAACP branch files federal suit against Hanover County over two Confederate school names". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  11. Local, Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville (May 20, 2020). "Judge dismisses lawsuit regarding Confederate school names". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  12. Times-Dispatch, KENYA HUNTER Richmond (June 11, 2020). "Hanover NAACP files notice of appeal in dismissed suit against school board for Confederate name changes". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  13. Times-Dispatch, C. SUAREZ ROJAS AND KENYA HUNTER Richmond (June 5, 2020). "Grassroots efforts to change Confederate school names in Hanover intensify following monument announcements". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  14. "Hanover School Board votes to change names of schools named after Confederate leaders". WBWT. July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  15. Church, Abby (September 17, 2020). "Hanover School Board likely to reject recommendation for new name of Lee-Davis High". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  16. Small, Alonzo (October 14, 2020). "Hanover school board officially approves new names for Lee-Davis High, Stonewall Jackson Middle". ABC 8 News. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  17. Lee-Davis High School website Archived April 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  18. "SCC: Viewing School - Lee-Davis High School". Show Choir Community. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  19. "SCC: Hanover/Lee-Davis Festival of Choirs 2019". Show Choir Community. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  20. John O'connor (June 8, 2019). "New Jets GM Joe Douglas (Lee-Davis High, UR) long ago had mind set on NFL front office position". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  21. Former Richmonder and composer for 'Star Wars: Battlefront II' described as 'heir apparent to John Williams' Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 3, 2018.
  22. "McDougle for Virginia » Meet Ryan". ryanmcdougle.com. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  23. Joan Tupponce, "Jason Mraz," Richmond Magazine, March 24, 2010.
  24. Spiders to name HU graduate Scott as football coach [ permanent dead link ]. Daily Press. Retrieved on December 15, 2009.
  25. "Mechanicsville High". Virginia School Quality Profiles. October 10, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2024.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. E. B. Stuart</span> Confederate cavalry general (1833–1864)

James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a Confederate army general and cavalry officer during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use of cavalry in support of offensive operations. While he cultivated a cavalier image, his serious work made him the trusted eyes and ears of Robert E. Lee's army and inspired Southern morale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanover County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monument Avenue</span> United States historic place

Monument Avenue is a tree-lined grassy mall dividing the eastbound and westbound traffic in Richmond, Virginia, originally named for its emblematic complex of structures honoring those who fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Between 1900 and 1925, Monument Avenue greatly expanded with architecturally significant houses, churches, and apartment buildings. Four of the bronze statues representing J. E. B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis and Matthew Fontaine Maury were removed from their memorial pedestals amidst civil unrest in July 2020. The Robert E. Lee monument was handled differently as it was owned by the Commonwealth, in contrast with the other monuments which were owned by the city. Dedicated in 1890, it was removed on September 8, 2021. All these monuments, including their pedestals, have now been removed completely from the Avenue. The last remaining statue on Monument Avenue is the Arthur Ashe Monument, memorializing the African-American tennis champion, dedicated in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massive resistance</span> Strategy declared by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd to resist public school desegregation in Virginia

Massive resistance was a political strategy created by American politicians Harry F. Byrd and James M. Thomson aimed at getting Virginia officials to pass laws and policies preventing public school desegregation, particularly after Brown v. Board of Education. Many schools and an entire school system were shut down in 1958 and 1959 in attempts to block integration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond National Battlefield Park</span> Group of historical battlefields in Virginia, US

The Richmond National Battlefield Park commemorates 13 American Civil War sites around Richmond, Virginia, which served as the capital of the Confederate States of America for most of the war. The park connects certain features within the city with defensive fortifications and battle sites around it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Hill (attorney)</span> American lawyer (1907–2007)

Oliver White Hill Sr. was an American civil rights attorney from Richmond, Virginia. His work against racial discrimination helped end the doctrine of "separate but equal." He also helped win landmark legal decisions involving equality in pay for black teachers, access to school buses, voting rights, jury selection, and employment protection. He retired in 1998 after practicing law for almost 60 years. Among his numerous awards was the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which U.S. President Bill Clinton awarded him in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlee High School</span> High school in Mechanicsville, Virginia, United States

Atlee High School is a secondary school serving central Hanover County, Virginia located in Mechanicsville, Virginia, United States. Atlee High School is a part of the Hanover County Public Schools.

Stonewall Jackson High School is a public high school located in Quicksburg, Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. It is home to almost 625 students, in grades 8–12. The school is part of the Shenandoah County Public School System. Mike Dorman is the current principal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Rose Johns</span> American civil rights activist (1935–1991)

Barbara Rose Johns Powell was a leader in the American civil rights movement. On April 23, 1951, at the age of 16, Powell led a student strike for equal education opportunities at R.R. Moton High School in Farmville, Prince Edward County, Virginia. After securing NAACP legal support, the Moton students filed Davis v. Prince Edward County, the only student-initiated case consolidated into Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring "separate but equal" public schools unconstitutional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan McDougle</span> American politician from Virginia

Ryan Todd McDougle is an American politician. A Republican, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 until 2006. He was elected to the Senate of Virginia. Since 2006, he has represented the 4th district, representing six counties and part of a seventh.

Confederate monuments and memorials in the United States include public displays and symbols of the Confederate States of America (CSA), Confederate leaders, or Confederate soldiers of the American Civil War. Many monuments and memorials have been or will be removed under great controversy. Part of the commemoration of the American Civil War, these symbols include monuments and statues, flags, holidays and other observances, and the names of schools, roads, parks, bridges, buildings, counties, cities, lakes, dams, military bases, and other public structures. In a December 2018 special report, Smithsonian Magazine stated, "over the past ten years, taxpayers have directed at least $40 million to Confederate monuments—statues, homes, parks, museums, libraries, and cemeteries—and to Confederate heritage organizations."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia's 26th Senate district</span> American legislative district

Virginia's 26th Senate district is one of 40 districts in the Senate of Virginia. It is currently represented by Ryan T. McDougle, who had represented the 4th District since 2006. Before the district moved, it was represented by Republican Mark Obenshain from 2004 to 2024, succeeding fellow Republican Kevin Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials</span> Ongoing development in the United States

There are more than 160 Confederate monuments and memorials to the Confederate States of America and associated figures that have been removed from public spaces in the United States, all but five of which have been since 2015. Some have been removed by state and local governments; others have been torn down by protestors.

Hanover County Public Schools is a school division headquartered in Ashland, Virginia. It serves approximately 17,000 students across 26 schools in Hanover County, including 15 elementary, four middle, and four high schools, one trade and technology center, one K–12 online school, and one alternative education school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Wyatt (politician)</span> Virginia house of representatives member

Scott Wyatt is an American politician. A Republican, he is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 60th district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stonewall Jackson Monument</span>

The Stonewall Jackson Monument in Richmond, Virginia, was erected in honor of Thomas Jonathon "Stonewall" Jackson, a Confederate general. The monument was located at the centre of the crossing of Monument Avenue and North Arthur Ashe Boulevard, in Richmond, Virginia. The bronze equestrian statue was unveiled in 1919. Along this avenue were other statues including Robert E. Lee, J. E. B. Stewart, Jefferson Davis, Matthew Maury and more recently Arthur Ashe. Thomas Jackson is best known as one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted commanders throughout the early period of the American Civil War between Southern Confederate states and Northern Union states. He rose to prominence after his vital role in the Confederate victory at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, continuing to command troops until his untimely death on May 10, 1863, after falling fatally ill following the amputation of his wounded arm.