CAMDEN, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- A New Jersey high school that bore the name of Woodrow Wilson for 92 years has been renamed because of the former president’s “racist values,” officials said.
Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden, which was built in 1930, will be known as Eastside High School starting in the 2022-2023 school year this fall, according to NJ.com.
More than 200 students voted on the new name at a board of education meeting Tuesday. The name was among several options, including Camden High School East and East Camden High School.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Camden superintendent Katrina McCombs said the school’s renaming “has clearly shown us all to never give up and to continue to push forward until change happens.”
A renaming committee of 10 people—including board members, alumni and current students—met several times this month to narrow down the names before this week’s vote.
Some were unhappy with the new name, saying it was uninspired and didn’t effectively represent the district.
The decision to rename the school came in June 2020, when McCombs said members of the community had “raised the concern about the school being named after an individual who expressed and demonstrated racist values.”
Wilson, who was president from 1913 to 1921 and New Jersey governor before that, has faced renewed scrutiny, including for his racist views and for re-segregating the federal government during his time in office.
Princeton University and Monmouth University removed his name from buildings on their campuses in 2020 as racial justice protests were happening nationwide following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.
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