School In Maplewood Renamed From 'Enslaver' Thomas Jefferson To Delia Bolden School

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — After community members in the South Orange-Maplewood School District decided they didn't want one of their elementary schools named Thomas Jefferson anymore, noting that he was an "enslaver," the students submitted several suggestions for namesakes.

Ultimately, they chose Delia Bolden, a 1912 graduate of Columbia High School, to name the school after.

On Sept. 8, some elementary school students in Maplewood will officially start classes at the newly renamed school.

Bolden was the first Black graduate of Columbia High School in 1912.

According to a resolution passed by the Board of Education in late June, the district must change the signage and make other changes to reflect the new name by the start of school on Sept. 8.

'The Negro Question'

When Bolden graduated from CHS in 1912, it would still be eight years before women could vote. And segregation kept Black and white residents separate in many aspects of life until the 1960s.

Upon her graduation, Bolden wrote a "brilliant essay," the district noted, published in the 1912 yearbook and read at her commencement. It was selected by classmates to be included in the yearbook.

In the essay, which can be found here, Bolden notes, "The negro question is one which is continually before the public to-day. It is being seriously considered by the leaders of both races. The negro is striving hard to settle this question for himself and to gain a place of honor in this his adopted land. But there are many unnecessary obstacles in his path."

The South Orange and Maplewood Board of Education approved the renaming of Jefferson Elementary School to the Delia Bolden Elementary School during its meeting on Wednesday, June 29.

Will Somehow Memorialize Jefferson

The district will also consider how to memorialize the building's previous name of Jefferson Elementary School "and the reasons for the name change on school grounds by June 30, 2023," the district said.

SOMSD Board President Thair Joshua said,“The Board of Education is excited about the new name of Delia Bolden Elementary School. Choosing Delia Bolden,who was the first African American woman to graduate from Columbia High School in 1912, is a fitting way to begin the new legacy at the school.”

Other names students suggested were:

• Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Supreme Court Justice
• Erna Schneider Hoover, Mathematician & Inventor, CHS Alumnus, Class of 1944
• Delia Bolden, First Female African-American Graduate of CHS, Class of 1912
• Amalya Lyle Kearse, First woman and second African American person to be appointed as a justice on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, CHS Alumnus, Class of 1955
• Joetta Clark Diggs, Track & Field Athlete & Four-time Olympian (1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000), CHS Alumnus, Class of 1980; and
• New Legacy Elementary School was also suggested, but the students ultimately chose to name the school after a person (“LEGACY” acronym: L-learned, learning, lifelong learners; E-engaged, excellence, ethical citizens; G-gifted, goal-oriented, ground-breaking; A-ambitious, accepting, achievement; C-creative, confident, cooperative; Y-yearning, youth, year-round)

All teachers taught lesson plans on the naming of places, and students discussed their suggestions for the new school.

School Settled Lawsuit

The School District of South Orange and Maplewood serves more than 7,200 students in 10 schools, including one early-childhood center, six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school: Columbia High School.

The community and its schools are known for being racially and economically diverse. However, in the recent past, the district had to settle a lawsuit by the Black Parents' Workshop, saying students of color were at a disadvantage in the district. The district had to make changes starting last year.

There are still a number of schools in New Jersey named after Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States.

Read about Jefferson's position on slavery here or here.

In Virginia, where Jefferson was born, various schools named after him considered the name change in 2020.