The Alexandria (Virginia) City schools voted unanimously to rename T.C. Williams High School, the high school made famous by the movie "Remember the Titans." The school board voted for the renaming with a 9-0 decision, and a new name has not yet been selected.
The name has sparked great debate, as it named after former superintendent Thomas Chambliss Williams, who advocated segregation in 1950s-60s. He argued Black & white students learn differently.
Williams was the Alexandria city schools superintendent for 30 years, from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s.
At the start of the calendar year, a petition was started to change the name.
Many also tried to change the name in 2004, but others claimed changing it would make people forget about the 1971 Titans team depicted in the famous film.
Alexandria resident Marc Solomon said, "You can 'Remember the Titans' without honoring TC Williams. The movie wasn't called 'Remember TC Williams.'"
He wanted to start a petition to change the name as to not highlight and praise someone with such a controversial past.
"I haven't found one person who can say one nice thing about T.C. Williams the man," Solomon said. "I have never met one person who can say one positive thing about him, which is weird. I mean folks find reasons to keep names of other places and I can't find one."
"Remember the Titans" is based on the true story of high school football coach Herman Boone's attempt to integrate the T.C. Williams team.
