New Name for Joseph E. Brown Middle School

Joseph E. Brown was an attorney and politician. He served as the 42nd governor of the state of Georgia from 1857 to 1865. He was a firm believer in slavery and the rights of the southern states. He himself owned many slaves. In 1861, he led the state of Georgia to secede from the Union out of fear that President Lincoln would abolish slavery.
Many of the schools in the Atlanta Public Schools district service communities that are predominantly black. Children of color attending a school carrying the namesake of such a disgusting person is a disgrace. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child, and I am calling on that village to effect positive change for the children of Joseph E. Brown Middle school. Help give our students a school that makes them feel empowered and celebrates the diversity that makes up the fabric of our city, state, and country.