PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Kensington’s Philip H. Sheridan Elementary School has a new name, as it honors a Philadelphia LGBTQ activist.
The former Sheridan Elementary recently opened its doors for the first time as Gloria Casarez Elementary School. Casarez was Philadelphia's first director of LGBT affairs before losing her battle with breast cancer in 2014.
The Philadelphia Board of Education made the change official this past June. They changed it from the name of Phillip Sheridan, whom school leaders said was a Civil War general who forced Native Americans onto reservations and was known for saying, “The only good Indian is a dead Indian.”
Casarez's wife Tricia Dressel said the late activist attended the school. Her name was one of four that the community recommended.
“It's pretty incredible. The school reached out to us. It’s an idea that came directly from the school and school community,” said Dressel.
“They did a lot of work, a lot of outreach. They canvassed the neighborhood. The students voted. The teachers voted. The faculty voted.”
She said the students were inspired by Casarez’s advocacy, especially her work with the homeless and the fight for LGBTQ rights.
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“The students that are attending the school wanted a name and a person they could look up to,” Dressel said.
She added it isn’t just a name change, but proof that Gloria’s legacy lives on.
“These students have a voice. They can see they are a part of making a difference and change in the city,” said Dressel. “It’s really powerful. It’s our new generation of young leaders.”
Mike DeNardo contributed to this report.