HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — The Hampton School Board has unanimously voted to rename Jefferson Davis Middle School in honor of a local historical figure.
The school will be renamed Cesar Tarrant Middle School, in honor of the former slave and Revolutionary War hero from Hampton who eventually became a freedman. Cesar Tarrant Elementary School was closed in 2015.
The name change will go into effect in September.
Wednesday’s decision comes more than a month after a decision was made to rename The Campus at Lee as the Hampton City Schools Adult and Alternative Learning Center.
The request to rename both came from the local chapter of the NAACP and the SCLC. 10 On Your Side has reported that some felt the names do not reflect current values of society.
