Home Madison Student Pushes to Get Slave Owner’s Name Off Her School

Student Pushes to Get Slave Owner’s Name Off Her School

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A senior at James Madison Memorial High School on Madison’s west side has called on the Madison Metropolitan School District Board to change the name of the school, which honors the fourth president of the United States. Madison, a Virginian, owned more than 100 slaves and did not free them upon his death.

Mya Berry spoke at the board’s meeting Monday and started an online petition yesterday.

Madison is also known as the author of the infamous “three-fifths compromise,” in which the original United States Constitution counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for census purposes.

Berry, a senior, started the petition as a class project, but thinks the idea might take off.

“Last summer I saw a video about all the presidents who owned slaves,” Berry told Madison365. That, coupled with continued racial tension at school, led her to choose an unusual senior quote for the yearbook: “My school is named after a slaveowner…lol #blacklivesmatter”

Berry said her quote was subject to more scrutiny from administration than quotes from other seniors, but was ultimately approved. 

“We do review all senior quotes to make sure there is no hurtful or offensive language,” said Memorial principal Jay Affeldt. “Ms. Berry’s quote was approved as originally written.”

MyaBerryThen, this semester, Berry took a social justice class. One of the required assignments is to take an action aimed at creating social change.

“This is the action I chose,” she said.

I do not feel supported by the majority of staff at Memorial, especially considering the fact that I’ve gotten called n-word multiple times, along with having an individual threaten me by telling me they would lynch me,” she told the school board. “My school has had dress up days such as pimps and hoes, and the girls varsity soccer team had cornrows in their hair, as if my culture is some dress up day, and something to joke about. So my thought to leave you with is: with all the injustice I and others face in James Madison Memorial High School, do you truly think it’s appropriate to glorify a man that enslaved my ancestors?”

Berry posted the petition late Wednesday with the goal of 1,000 signatures. By midday Thursday, it had more than 500. Berry said she’d gotten supportive emails and messages from friends and teachers.

Berry said she doesn’t have an alternative name in mind, and wouldn’t mind if it was just Madison Memorial, named for the city and not directly for the man.

“Just drop the James,” she said.

“We’re grateful that our students have brought this concern to our attention,” said MMSD representative Rachel Strauch-Nelson in an email to Madison365. “Memorial is continually focused on strengthening its school community, and it’s important that students can identify concerns and share their perspectives. The principal is meeting with students today to talk more about their concerns and work on how to facilitate conversations at school and figure out next steps.”

School board members did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. This story will be updated if they issue any statements.